Colorado’s District Courts hear criminal felony cases, juvenile matters, civil cases in any monetary amount, as well as domestic violence, probate, and mental health cases. Criminal cases are broken into six “classes” (levels) of felonies in Colorado, ranging from class 6 felonies (least serious) to class 1 felonies (most serious). With each increased class of felony come more severe potential penalties, whether prison, monetary fine, or both. District Court decisions may be appealed to the Colorado Court of Appeals and in some cases directly to the Colorado Supreme Court. District Court judges also hear appeals of County Court decisions.
The District Court felony prosecutors are faced with a variety of cases. These include all levels of felonies, ranging from drug-related felonies and property crimes to weapons offenses to serious assaults, robbery, and other serious offenses, including murder. The felony prosecutors handle an extremely heavy caseload. These experienced lawyers have the necessary skills to prepare and prosecute virtually any of the crimes contained within the Colorado criminal code. Their ultimate duty is to do justice by holding offenders accountable and by attempting to bring closure to victims and their families through final resolution of cases and helping victims obtain the services they need.
The only cases not handled by the above lawyers are those handled by the specialized units.