Have You Been Arrested
or Charged in CO?
If you are charged with a misdemeanor, receive a traffic ticket, or are involved in a lawsuit, you may have to appear at the Colorado Springs County Court.
The Colorado Springs county court is located at:
El Paso County Judicial Building
270 S Tejon St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80903
You can contact the court via telephone or email:
The Clerk’s Office, located in room S101, is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. through 4:30 p.m.
The First Appearance Center can be contacted at 719-452-5500 or via email at 04FAC@judicial.state.co.us.
Metered street parking is available, or you can park at the Colorado Springs Parking Garage on S. Nevada St. Located here.
Colorado Springs county court is a county court, which means that it handles:
You may be required to appear at this court if you have a traffic ticket, are charged with a misdemeanor, or are being sued in small claims court.
A criminal defense lawyer serves as your advocate, advisor, and representative in court. Attorneys can:
Whether you’re headed to trial, fighting a traffic ticket, or appearing in court for your arraignment, your attorney can help you navigate Colorado’s complicated judicial system.
An attorney will help you understand what you’re up against and what you’re facing in the days or weeks to come. For example, if there’s a hearing, your attorney can help you understand what the hearing is about, what to expect, and what to say/do during the hearing.
Along with helping you understand what to do, an attorney can also help you understand what not to do.
If you don’t hire a lawyer, you’re taking a major risk heading into the courtroom. Arrests, tickets, and lawsuits are all serious, and you may be facing misdemeanor or felony charges. The risk of not hiring a lawyer is extensive and may include:
Depending on the charges you’re facing, you may have a higher risk of losing your license, losing court cases, or having protection orders issued against you. A lawyer understands the law, understands the judges and the prosecutors, knows if there are certain tactics that would help or harm you in certain divisions, knows what the accusations or charges against you are and how to best handle them within the confines of the law.
If you opt not to work with an attorney, you’re risking losing the experience and expertise of a legal professional to help with everything from mediation and agreements to speaking to a judge.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens at court will depend on the purpose of your appearance. Your attorney can help you understand what to expect while at the Colorado Springs county court. If you are unsure of where to go, you can speak with the civil clerk at the Clerk’s Office.
A few basic things to know:
Cases are handled one by one, and judges may handle cases in different orders. For example, they may start with the cases that are expected to take the least amount of time, or they may call cases where there is an attorney present first.
It’s important to dress appropriately for court and to treat everyone in the courtroom with respect. When your name is called, make sure that you are loud and clear when telling the judge that you are present.
Trials
If you’re going to trial before a judge or jury, you can expect to go through the following stages:
Opening Statements
At the start of the trial, parties may give their opening statements to tell the judge or jury about the case they will be hearing. Opening statements are not required but are typically given in more serious trials.
Prosecution’s or Plaintiff’s Case
Because the burden of proof rests on the plaintiff or prosecution, they are the first party to present evidence in a trial. That evidence may include witness testimony, videos, photographs, documents and recordings.
The other party will have an opportunity to cross-examine witnesses after they testify.
Defendant’s Case
When the prosecution has finished making its case, the defendant will then present evidence and call witnesses.
The plaintiff or prosecution will also have an opportunity to cross-examine witnesses.
Rebuttal
Once the defendant finishes making its case, the prosecution or plaintiff may respond by presenting evidence or calling witnesses to address the evidence presented in the defendant’s case.
Again, the defense will have an opportunity to cross-examine witnesses.
Closing Arguments
Both parties may present closing arguments that summarize the case for the jury or judge. This is each party’s opportunity to make an argument as to why their side should win. Like opening statements, closing arguments are not required.
No new evidence or information can be presented during the closing argument that wasn’t presented in the trial.
If you are unsure of your court date in Colorado Springs, you can use the El Paso County Docket search to find out. You can also ask the clerk about your court date.
To find information about a court case in Colorado, you can use the Court Docket Search on the Colorado Judicial Branch website.
You can also find El Paso County Cases of Interest listed on the county court’s website.
If you have any questions that are unanswered, you can ask your lawyer directly or call the courthouse for clarification.
