Denver County Court

Appearing on a Criminal Case

CRIMINAL COURT LOCATION

Criminal matters generally require a court appearance, unless advised differently by the Court or your attorney.  Please read your summons and complaint carefully to determine when you need to appear.  If you lost your summons and complaint, you can find your court date by doing a Court Date Search that will show all your upcoming court dates.

Municipal Ordinance Summons and Complaint (D.R.M.C.)

If you received a municipal ordinance summons and complaint, your first appearance will be in Courtroom 4F in the Lindsey-Flanigan Courthouse, 520 W. Colfax Avenue. The date and time of appearance is shown on the summons and complaint. When you arrive you will be required to go through security. Please allow enough time to park and go through security so you can be on time. Courtroom 4F is on the fourth floor. Check in with the courtroom clerk once you arrive.

If your case is not resolved on your first appearance, subsequent court appearances are then scheduled in one of the three trial courtrooms at the Lindsey-Flanigan Courthouse. The municipal trial courtrooms are 3G; 3H; 4A; and 4B.

A prosecutor from the City Attorney’s Office will be involved in cases scheduled in these courtrooms.

Criminal Summons and Complaint (C.R.S.)

If you received a criminal summons and complaint for a state statute violation, your first appearance will be in Courtroom 4F in the Lindsey-Flanigan Courthouse, 520 W. Colfax Avenue. The date and time of appearance is shown on the summons and complaint. When you arrive you will be required to go through security. Please allow enough time to park and go through security so you can be on time. Courtroom 4F is on the fourth floor. Check in with the courtroom clerk once you arrive.

If your case is not resolved at the first appearance, subsequent court appearances are then scheduled in one of the four criminal trial courtrooms at the Lindsey-Flanigan Courthouse. The criminal trial courtrooms are 3A; 3B; 3C; 3D; 3E; and 3F.

A prosecutor from the District Attorney’s Office will be involved in cases scheduled in these courtrooms.

FIRST APPEARANCE

The first appearance in court is called an arraignment.  At the arraignment, the Judge or Magistrate will:

  • Tell you what the charges are;
  • Tell you about your rights;
  • Inform you of all the possible penalties.

You may respond to the charges by entering a plea.  Common pleas include guilty, not guilty, or no contest (nolo-contendere).

  • Not guilty means you say you did not violate the law and you want to go to trial.
  • Guilty means you admit you violated the law.  The Judge or Magistrate accepts the guilty plea and enters a conviction in the court record.
  • No contest means you do not disagree with the charge.  The plea has the same effect as a guilty plea and allows you to accept the penalties associated with the charge(s) without saying you are guilty.  A no contest plea is not an acceptable plea for all cases, and the Judge or Magistrate will let you know if they can accept that type of plea on the case.

At arraignment you may enter a plea of guilty to an agreed upon plea bargain.  A plea bargain is an agreement between you, your attorney, and the prosecutor, which may include a reduction of charges, dismissal of some charges, or agreement on sentencing.  Court costs will be imposed according to statutory requirements.

For cases scheduled in the Lindsey-Flanigan Courthouse, the District Attorney is available at arraignment in Courtroom 4C and will discuss the case with you.  A City Attorney is available at arraignment in Courtroom 4F and will discuss the case with you.

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