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The Denver Police have the initial charging responsibility; only they can generate a new municipal case (ticket). Once the defendant has been charged s/he will either be arrested or issued a ticket (summons and complaint) and ordered to appear in front of a judge at a later date. If the defendant is not present, a warrant may be issued for his/her arrest. To find out if a warrant has been issued or to obtain updated case information, go to the following link located on the DenverGov web site: http://www.denvergov.org/apps/newcourt/court_select.aspx. Please note a warrant may take up to a week before it is entered into this system.
The information provided on this web site is specific only to municipal crimes and is not relevant to Felony or Misdemeanor cases, which are prosecuted by the District Attorney’s Office. For more information about the District Attorney’s Office and the cases they prosecute, please go to their web site at: http://www.denverda.org.
ORDER IN
An “order in” ticket may be issued to a defendant if the police officer chooses not to make an arrest at the scene of the crime.
► Order in tickets are never given to domestic violence defendants. By law the Denver Police Department is required to arrest the defendant in a domestic violence case, if probable cause exists. For all other municipal ordinance violation cases, it is left up to the discretion of the police officer to decide whether to arrest the defendant or issue him/her an order in ticket.
► The Victim Advocacy team will try to review all order in tickets to determine which may be in need of advocacy. However, there are a significant number of cases and your case may be missed by our team. If you have not been contacted by a Victim Specialist at least five days before the defendant’s first court appearance and would like some assistance, please call our office at 720-913-8020 and ask to speak with the Victim Specialist. When you call, it is helpful if you have the full name of the defendant and/or his/her case number.
► At the defendant’s first court appearance, the judge will advise him/her of the charges brought against him/her. The defendant can either speak to the Assistant City Attorney to try and negotiate a plea bargain or enter a plea of not guilty and set the matter for trial. You are not required to appear at this hearing. However, if you would like to appear at the hearing, please notify the Victim Specialist so s/he can make sure you are involved with the entire court process. Most order in cases are heard in courtroom 4A in the Lindsey Flannigan Justice Center at 520 West Colfax Avenue.
ARRESTED
► If a defendant has been arrested and booked in before midnight, s/he will appear for Arraignment Court the next day.
► At arraignment, the defendant is advised of the charges and can either plead guilty or not guilty.
► Court occurs seven days a week every day of the year (excluding all holidays).
► Defendants are held at the Denver City Jail which is located at 490 West Colfax Avenue. If you want to visit the defendant while s/he is at the City Jail please call ahead to obtain the visiting hours. The City Jail phone number is 720-337-0400. Every defendant who is arrested is first taken to the City Jail. If s/he cannot post bond or is required to serve a jail sentence longer then 10 days, s/he will be transported to the Denver County Jail. For more information about the county jail you can call 720-913-3778 or go to: http://www.denvergov.org/Sheriff/DenverCountyJail/tabid/393650/Default.aspx.
► All city ordinance violation cases are treated the same except if the case is categorized as a domestic violence case. The following is a list that explains the differences.
Domestic Violence
■ Domestic violence is not a charge: it is a category of charges. Domestic violence is only indicated on the face of the ticket. It notifies the court that the defendant and the victim are or were in an intimate relationship.
■ All municipal domestic and family violence cases are heard at 1:30 P.M. Monday through Friday and 11:00 A.M. on weekends and holidays (usually) in courtroom 12T which is located in the City Jail.
■ No defendant charged under the category of domestic violence will be eligible to bond out before his/her initial court appearance. Once the defendant is arraigned, if s/he enters a plea of not guilty, a bond will be set by the judge.
■ A Victim Specialist will attempt to contact you by phone before the defendant’s arraignment (please see Victim Advocacy Program for a list of services that will be provided to you). If you do not hear from a Victim Specialist by 10:00 A.M., please call our office at 720-913-8020.
■ A protection order will not be automatically issued. If you want a protection order, please be sure to let the Victim Specialist know before the defendant is arraigned.
■ The defendant is automatically provided a public defender who will represent him/her during the arraignment process.
■ After the defendant’s arraignment, a Victim Specialist will attempt to contact you and inform you of the outcome. A letter will also be mailed to you with the case outcome information. If you do not want any mail to be sent to you by the Victim Specialist, or have an alternative address, please notify the Specialist right away.
■ If a warrant was issued for the defendant, a Victim Specialist will attempt to contact you within 4 - 5 days. If you do not hear from a Victim Specialist, please call our office at 720-913-8020. If you change your phone number or address, please notify us right away so that we can stay in contact with you and notify you once the defendant is arrested.
All Other City Ordinance Violations
■ All other defendants (except in cases involving a gun) who are arrested are eligible to bond out right away.
■ If the defendant is not able to bond out, his/her case will be arraigned at 9:00 A.M. in courtroom 12T at the City Jail.
■ The Victim Advocacy Team does try to review all of these cases to determine which may have victims in need of advocacy. If you do not hear from a Victim Specialist and would like advocacy services, please be sure to contact us at 720-913-8020. If we cannot reach you by telephone, a letter will be sent to the home address that was listed on the police report.
■ A public defender is not automatically provided to the defendant.
■ The defendant can either plead guilty or not guilty to the charges. If the defendant pleads guilty, the judge will impose an immediate sentence. If the defendant pleads not guilty, the case will be set for trial. The judge can also set a higher or lower bond at that time.
■ All municipal arrest cases are heard in courtroom 12T (located in the City Jail) and are open to the public. You are more then welcome to appear and listen to court proceedings.
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