COUNTY COURT JURISDICTION AND POWERS

Denver City Charter subtit. B, art. IV, pt. 2

in effect

Denver City Charter, art. IV, § 4.2.1 General powers and duties.

§ 4.2.1 - General powers and duties. There shall be and hereby is created a County Court of the City and County of Denver, which court shall perform all acts and duties required by the constitution or general laws of the State of Colorado now or hereafter required to be performed by County Courts, and all acts and duties required by the constitution or general laws of the State of Colorado or the Charter or ordinances of the City and County of Denver now or hereafter required to be performed by the Municipal Court. The County Court of the City and County of Denver in the exercise of the jurisdiction described in Section 4.2.5 hereof shall be a court of record if so provided by the general laws of the State of Colorado, and in the exercise of the jurisdiction described in Section 4.2.6 hereof may be a court of record if so provided by ordinance. (Charter 1960, A13.1; amended November 3, 1964)

Denver City Charter, art. IV, § 4.2.2 Other duties prescribed by ordinance.

§ 4.2.2 - Other duties prescribed by ordinance. The County Court of the City and County of Denver shall perform such other duties not inconsistent with the provisions of this Charter as the Council may by ordinance require. (Charter 1960, A13.13; amended November 3, 1964; Ord. No. 428-02, § 1, 6-3-02, elec. 8-13-02)

Denver City Charter, art. IV, § 4.2.5 Jurisdiction; State laws.

§ 4.2.5 - Jurisdiction; State laws. The County Court of the City and County of Denver shall have such civil, criminal, and appellate jurisdiction as now or hereafter may be provided by the constitution or general laws of the State of Colorado to be had or exercised by County Courts. (Charter 1960, A13.2; amended November 3, 1964)

Denver City Charter, art. IV, § 4.2.6 Jurisdiction; City laws.

§ 4.2.6 - Jurisdiction; City laws. The County Court of the City and County of Denver shall have original jurisdiction of all cases arising under the Charter or ordinances of the City and County of Denver with full power to enforce the same and to punish violations thereof by the imposition of such fines and penalties as may be thereby provided, and all proceedings in such cases shall be in accordance with the procedure established by ordinance, or, with respect to matters of procedure not so established by ordinance, as may be established by rules of said court. (Charter 1960, A13.3; amended November 3, 1964)

Denver City Charter, art. IV, § 4.2.7 Modifying judgments, decrees or orders.

§ 4.2.7 - Modifying judgments, decrees or orders. While sitting separately, the courts held by the several Judges shall be known as the County Court of the City and County of Denver, and shall have the same power to vacate or modify its own judgments, decrees or orders rendered or made while so held, as if said Court were composed of a single Judge. (Charter 1960, A13.10; amended November 3, 1964; Ord. No. 682-02, § 1, 8-26-02, elec. 11-5-02)

Denver City Charter, art. IV, § 4.2.8 Subpoenas, summonses, warrants, etc.; general powers.

§ 4.2.8 - Subpoenas, summonses, warrants, etc.; general powers. The County Court of the City and County of Denver and the Judges thereof shall have the power to preserve and enforce order in its immediate presence and to compel the attendance of witnesses and to issue subpoenas, summonses, warrants, writs, orders, and all other process in cases within its jurisdiction arising under the constitution or laws of the State of Colorado or the Charter or ordinances of the City and County of Denver with full power to enforce the same. Any witness who fails to appear in response to a subpoena may be punished for contempt of court and the said court shall also have the general power to punish for contempt of court. (Charter 1960, A13.4; amended November 3, 1964)

Denver City Charter, art. IV, § 4.2.9 Subpoenas; issuance on behalf of other City and County agencies and officers.

§ 4.2.9 - Subpoenas; issuance on behalf of other City and County agencies and officers. Wherever in the Charter a board, commission, officer or agency is granted authority to issue subpoenas or compel the attendance of witnesses; upon failure of any witness to comply with such subpoena, the board, commission, officer, agency or party serving the subpoena may petition the County Court of the City and County of Denver for enforcement; in which event, the County Court may enter an order as in other civil actions compelling the witness to attend and testify under penalty of punishment for contempt in case of contumacious failure to comply with the order of the court. The hearing on the petition for enforcement shall take precedence of all matters except older matters of the same character. (Charter 1960, C6.12; added August 9, 1988)

Denver City Charter, art. IV, § 4.2.10 Jury trials; summoning of jurors.

§ 4.2.10 - Jury trials; summoning of jurors. In any action pending before the County Court of the City and County of Denver in which a party thereto is entitled to a jury trial by the Constitution or general laws of the State of Colorado, such party may have a jury summoned to try the same. The Council shall have the power by ordinance to provide for the summoning of jurors and to fix the fees to be charged by the County Court of the City and County of Denver and the fees to be paid to jurors serving in such Court. The Council shall have the power by ordinance to determine whether any fees or costs charged for jury trials by or in said court shall be assessed to or against any party thereto, and if so, in what amounts. (Charter 1960, A13.5, A13.6; amended November 3, 1964; Ord. No. 428-02, § 1, 6-3-02, elec. 8-13-02)

Denver City Charter, art. IV, § 4.2.11 Appeals from County Court.

§ 4.2.11 - Appeals from County Court. Appeals may be taken from all judgments of the County Court of the City and County of Denver to such courts as may be provided by the general laws of the State of Colorado, and such appeals shall be taken and determined in such manner as provided by the laws of the State of Colorado and the ordinances of the City and County of Denver. (Charter 1960, A13.7; amended November 3, 1964)

Source: City and County of Denver, Revised Municipal Code and Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/co/denver/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=TITIHORU_SUBTITLE_BCH_ARTIVCOCO_PT2COCOJUPOFetched: 10/27/2026