Title 13, Courts and Court Procedure

(1) The general assembly hereby finds and declares that: (a) Access to courts is a cornerstone of Colorado's republican form of government and is therefore a matter of statewide concern. Civil arrest of a person at a courthouse or on its environs, or while going to, attending, or…

As used in this part 4, unless the context otherwise requires: (1) "Civil arrest" means an arrest that is solely or primarily in connection with a civil proceeding but does not include an arrest made in connection with a judge's contempt authority or other judicially issued proce…

(1) A person is not subject to civil arrest while the person is present at a courthouse or on its environs; or while going to, attending, or coming from a court proceeding; or while the person is receiving treatment in a related facility. (2) (a) A judge or magistrate may issue a…

(1) A person who knowingly violates section 13-1-403 (1) or a writ of protection issued pursuant to section 13-1-403 (2) is liable for damages in a civil action for false imprisonment. (2) A person who knowingly violates section 13-1-403 (1) or a writ of protection issued pursuan…

If any provision of this part 4 or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or application of this part 4 that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of…

As used in this part 5, unless the context otherwise requires: (1) "Authority" means the court security authority created in section 13-1-502. (2) "Board" means the court security authority board created in section 13-1-504. (3) "Chief justice" means the chief justice of the Colo…

(1) There is created as a special purpose authority, as defined in section 24-77-102, the court security authority, which is a body corporate and a political subdivision of the state, which is not an agency of state government and is not subject to administrative direction by any…

(1) In addition to any other powers granted to the authority in this part 5, the authority has the following powers: (a) To have the duties, privileges, immunities, rights, liabilities, and disabilities of a body corporate and political subdivision of the state; (b) To have perpe…

(1) The authority is governed by the court security authority board, which shall evaluate grant applications received pursuant to this part 5 for awarding grants from revenue from the court security surcharge. (2) (a) The board is composed of seven members as follows: (I) Two rep…

(1) (a) Beginning July 1, 2027, the authority shall impose, and the court shall collect on behalf of the authority, a court security surcharge in the amount of ten dollars on the following: (I) Docket fees for specified civil actions filed in district court and county court pursu…

(1) The authority shall accept applications for grant awards distributed from the money deposited into the authority's account as required by section 13-1-505 (2), less the authority's direct and indirect expenses in administering the requirements of this part 5 and any other rel…

(1) (a) For a county to be eligible for money distributed by the authority, a local security team must apply to the board on behalf of the county in a form and manner to be determined by the board. For the board to consider a grant application from a county, the application must …

(1) On or before January 31, 2028, and on or before each January 31 thereafter, the authority shall prepare and submit a report to the chief justice and the house of representatives judiciary committee and the senate judiciary committee, or their successor committees, that detail…

In each year there shall be three terms of the supreme court: One beginning on the second Monday in September, another beginning on the second Monday in January, and another beginning on the second Monday in April. Source: L. 1889: p. 443, § 1. R.S. 08: § 1409. C.L. § 5624. CSA: …

Special terms of said court may be called under such general rules and regulations as may be adopted by the court. Source: G.L. § 2614. G.S. § 3235. R.S. 08: § 1410. C.L. § 5625. CSA: C. 46, § 16. CRS 53: § 37-2-2. C.R.S. 1963: § 37-2-2.

The court shall be in open session as often as practicable during each of its terms to hear and determine matters and causes which may come before it, and, at the discretion of the court, oral arguments may be allowed on final hearing in any cause on the request of any party ther…

If a quorum of the justices of the supreme court is not present on the first day of any term, the court shall stand adjourned from day to day until a quorum attends; and said court, if a quorum is present, may adjourn to any day specified, as may be deemed advisable. Source: G.L.…

All matters, suits, and causes undisposed of at any term of the supreme court shall stand continued to the next succeeding term. Source: G.L. § 2607. G.S. § 3229. R.S. 08: § 1413. C.L. § 5628. CSA: C. 46, § 19. CRS 53: § 37-2-5. C.R.S. 1963: § 37-2-5.

All process issued out of the supreme court shall bear teste in the name of the chief justice, be signed by the clerk of the court, sealed with its seal, and made returnable according to law or the rules and orders of the court and shall be executed by the officer to whom the sam…

No justice of the supreme court shall practice as an attorney-at-law in any of the courts of the state, nor give advice touching any cause pending or to be brought therein. Source: G.L. § 2608. G.S. § 3230. R.S. 08: § 1419. C.L. § 5631. CSA: C. 46, § 22. CRS 53: § 37-2-7. C.R.S. …

The supreme court has the power to prescribe, by general rules, for the courts of record in the state of Colorado the practice and procedure in civil actions and all forms in connection therewith; except that no rules shall be made by the supreme court permitting or allowing tria…

(1) The supreme court has the power to prescribe, from time to time, rules of pleading, practice, and procedure with respect to all proceedings in all criminal cases in all courts of the state of Colorado. (2) The supreme court shall fix the dates when such rules take effect and …

The supreme court from time to time may institute rules of practice, and prescribe forms of process to be used, and regulations for the keeping of the records and proceedings of the court, not inconsistent with the constitution or laws of this state. Source: G.L. § 2604. G.S. § 3…

(1) The supreme court may appoint one clerk, two deputy clerks, one librarian of the supreme court library, one reporter and an assistant reporter of its decisions, two bailiffs, and such additional clerical assistants as may be necessary. (2) Each justice of the supreme court ma…

(1) The bailiff appointed shall attend upon the court and the judges thereof. It is the duty of the bailiff to assist the librarian of the supreme court, when not otherwise engaged. (2) In case of the absence of the bailiff, the court or judges may appoint some suitable person to…

Except for the court of appeals docket fees, the supreme court is authorized to fix such fees for the services of the clerk of said court, in causes pending therein, as to the court seems proper, such fees to be paid by the parties to a cause pursuant to law and the order of the …

The seal of the supreme court shall be one and three-quarter inches in diameter, with a device inscribed thereon as follows: Upon a ground of white the figure of justice sitting faced to the left, but with body and face inclined to the front, arms outstretched, and holding in her…

(1) Any person who has served as a judge of the supreme court of Colorado for not less than ten years, who has ceased to hold said office, and who has reached the age of sixty-five years is entitled to receive an annual pension during the remainder of his life in the amount of on…

(1) The state librarian and all other officers who receive for public use from any other state or territory, or any officer thereof, or any other person any books of judicial reports or public statutes or any other books of law shall forthwith cause one copy of such books or stat…

The librarian of the supreme court, under the direction of the court, shall have custody of the books pertaining to the library of the supreme court. Source: G.L. § 2621. G.S. § 3240. R.S. 08: omitted. C.L. § 5641. CSA: C. 46, § 35. L. 37: p. 495, § 1. CRS 53: § 37-2-18. C.R.S. 1…

It is the duty of the librarian to keep his office open every day in the year, Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays excepted, from 8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m. of each day, so that the public may have access to the library, under such rules and regulations as the supreme court may prescrib…

(1) At the end of each month, all fees collected by the clerk of the supreme court during said month, except fees for admission to the bar and attorney registration fees, shall be deposited by the clerk with the state treasurer, by whom the same shall be kept separate and apart f…

The funds so set apart, together with the balance of the fund now in the state treasurer's hands and designated as the "supreme court library fund", shall be known as the "supreme court library fund", and the supreme court is authorized to use said fund for the purchase of books …

The state controller is authorized to draw warrants upon said fund, from time to time upon certificate, of the sums required for the purposes specified in section 13-2-120 under the signature of the chief justice or a majority of the judges of the supreme court, and the state tre…

(1) The opinions of the supreme court of the state of Colorado and of the court of appeals must be published in volumes of the size, as nearly as may be, as present volumes of the Colorado reports, and containing not less than six hundred fifty pages each. (2) (a) In addition to …

It is the duty of the reporter of the decisions of said courts, within four months after a sufficient number of opinions to constitute a volume of the prescribed size have been delivered to him, to compile and prepare the same for publication, together with such other proceedings…

(1) In lieu of the publication of the opinions of the supreme court and the court of appeals pursuant to section 13-2-122 (1), the supreme court may designate the published volumes of the decisions of the supreme court and the court of appeals, as the same are published by any pe…

(1) Upon the publication of each volume of the reports of the supreme court and the court of appeals under contract with the judicial department, the publisher shall be responsible for distributing as many copies as are required to meet the needs of the state in accordance with a…

(1) The legal custodian of publications of the state of Colorado is directed to furnish to the law library of the university of Colorado free of charge from existing stocks if feasible and in any event as such publications are from time to time issued: (a) Thirty copies each of t…

Appellate review by the supreme court of any action or proceeding of an inferior tribunal, whether such action or proceeding is civil, criminal, special, statutory, common law, or otherwise, shall be prescribed by rule of the supreme court, except as otherwise provided by law. So…

(1) There is created, pursuant to section 5 (3) of article VI of the state constitution, the position of state court administrator, who is appointed by the justices of the supreme court at such compensation as is determined by them. The state court administrator is responsible to…

(1) The state court administrator under the direction of the chief justice shall make a continuous survey of the conditions of the dockets and the business of the courts of record and shall make reports and recommendations thereon to the chief justice. (2) The chief justice shall…

(1) Members of judicial nominating commissions appointed pursuant to section 24 of article VI of the state constitution and members of the commission on judicial discipline appointed pursuant to section 23 of article VI of the state constitution shall be reimbursed for actual and…

(1) The state of Colorado shall provide funds by annual appropriation for the operations, salaries, and other expenses of all courts of record within the state, except for county courts in the city and county of Denver and municipal courts. (2) When a board of county commissioner…

(1) The supreme court, pursuant to section 5 (3) of article VI of the state constitution, shall prescribe, by rule, a personnel classification plan for all courts of record to be funded by the state, as provided in section 13-3-104. (2) Such personnel classification and compensat…

(1) (a) The court administrator, subject to the approval of the chief justice, shall prepare annually a consolidated operating budget for all courts of record subject to the provisions of section 13-3-104, such budget to be known as the judicial department operating budget. (b) T…