DenverLaborLaw.com explains the many courts in Denver, Colorado and their purpose within state and federal judicial administration. Learn more about the labor and employment law practiced in these courts at https://denverlaborlaw.com

1. DENVER COLORADO COURTS
Published by DenverLaborLaw.com | 2018 |
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2. LEVELS OF COURTS IN DENVER
• Local county/city municipal and county ordinance courts
• Denver County courts
• Colorado 2nd District Courts
• Colorado Court of Appeals
• Colorado Supreme Court
• U.S. District Courts for the District of Colorado
• U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals

3. DENVER MUNICIPAL COURT
• Denver has an individual municipal court for traffic violations
• Other misdemeanors are heard by the consolidated county criminal
court

4. DENVER COUNTY CRIMINAL COURT
• Denver County criminal county court hears non-traffic misdemeanor
violations within the county

5. DENVER COUNTY CIVIL COURT
• Denver County also has civil courts under county jurisdiction
• County courts in Colorado hear evictions, name changes, domestications
of foreign judgments, replevins, protection orders and lawsuits seeking
monetary relief seeking $15,000 or less.

6. 2ND JUDICIAL DISTRICT
• Colorado is also divided into judicial districts that hear more complex
cases
• Denver is large enough that it is home to a single district
• Like county, 2nd Judicial District has both criminal and civil courts
although it divides civil jurisdiction into civil courts of general
jurisdiction and civil courts with specific jurisdiction over specific subject
matter
• District courts are generally also the appellate courts for county courts

7. 2ND JUDICIAL DISTRICT CRIMINAL
COURTS
• The district criminal court hears all state felony cases in Denver

8. 2ND JUDICIAL DISTRICT CIVIL COURTS
• Multiple civil courts:
• General civil jurisdiction: Hears all civil suits within district jurisdiction not
assigned to other courts. Also presides over divorces and custody cases.
• Juvenile court: Hears cases involving paternity, child support, adoptions,
grandparent visitation, truancy, juvenile expungements and neglect. Parents
can choose to file custody cases in this court IF there is an existing support or
paternity order.
• Probate court: Hears issues involving probate issues, settlement of estates,
assignment of guardians and conservators and adjudication of the mentally ill.

9. COLORADO COURT OF APPEALS
• Court of Appeals hears appeals from all district courts in Colorado plus
appeals from many administrative boards and agencies
• Hear both civil and criminal appeals

10. COLORADO SUPREME COURT
• Colorado Supreme Court is the highest court in the state
• It is an appellate court that hears appeals from the court of appeals and
appeals directly from the district court when the district court hears
appeals from county courts
• The Supreme Court does not have to take most appeals—they are
discretionary for most cases
• Also can hear direct appeals in limited number of cases where
extraordinary relief is necessary
• Original jurisdiction over attorney disciplinary proceedings

11. U.S. DISTRICT OF COLORADO
• Federal courts are divided into districts
• Colorado is a single district with courts in Denver and across the state
• Generally federal district courts are courts of general jurisdiction that
hear most civil and criminal cases
• Also district bankruptcy court that exclusively hears bankruptcy
proceedings within Colorado

12. U.S. TENTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEAL
• Federal intermediate appellate courts are circuit courts of appeal that
generally oversee districts within several states.
• The District of Colorado is within the Tenth Circuit which is also located
in Denver
• It hears appeals of almost all cases from the federal district courts

13. COLORADO TRIAL COURTHOUSES IN
DENVER
• Lindsay-Flanigan Courthouse: County Criminal, District Criminal and
District Juvenile
• 520 W. Colfax Ave., Denver, Colorado 80204
• Denver City & County Building: County Civil, District Civil, District
Probate, Traffic
• 1437 Bannock St., Denver, Colorado 80202

14. COLORADO APPELLATE COURTS IN
DENVER
• Ralph L. Carr Colorado Judicial Center: Court of Appeals and Supreme
Court
• 2 E. 14th Ave., Denver, Colorado 80203

15. FEDERAL COURTHOUSES IN DENVER
• The non-bankruptcy federal district court is at:
• Alfred A. Arraj U.S. Courthouse
• 901 19th St., Denver, Colorado 80294
• U.S. District of Colorado Bankruptcy Court
• Custom House
• 721 19th St., Denver, Colorado 80202
• U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals
• Byron White U.S. Courthouse
1823 Stout St., Denver, Colorado 80257

16. LAWYERS IN DENVER
• Lawyers in Colorado may be licensed to practice in some or all of these
courts
• Admission to the state bar of Colorado allows a lawyer to practice in all
state courts
• Federal courts have their own bars that an attorney must join to practice
in those courts (without special permission)
• The district and bankruptcy district courts each have their own bars; so does
the Tenth Circuit. An attorney must separately apply for admission to each