Larimer County to Host Fall Warrant Clearance and Community Resource Event in Fort Collins

Residents with eligible outstanding warrants can resolve their cases without criminal arrest at a warrant clearance event November 15 at the Larimer County Justice Center in Fort Collins, the fifth such event since the 8th Judicial District began holding community-based clearances in fall 2022.

The event runs from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 201 Laporte Avenue and is sponsored by the 8th Judicial District Attorney's Office, the Office of the State Public Defender, the 8th Judicial District Judicial Branch, and Fort Collins Municipal Court. Larimer County Community Justice Alternatives will host a concurrent community resource fair.

Over 300 open warrants were cleared and hundreds of defendants brought back into the justice system during warrant clearance events held in 2023 and 2024, according to Larimer County.

Eligible and Ineligible Offenses

Misdemeanor, traffic, and petty drug charges qualify for warrant clearance, along with Drug Felony 4 charges, Fort Collins Municipal Court charges, Class 5 and Class 6 felonies, and failure to register cases.

Drug Felony 4 represents the least severe felony drug charge in Colorado, typically involving simple possession or low-level distribution under Colorado Revised Statutes 18-18-403.5. Class 5 felonies include crimes such as trespass with intent to commit a felony or theft over specific thresholds, while Class 6 felonies cover the least serious non-drug felonies including certain impersonation charges.

Domestic violence misdemeanors and felonies are not eligible, nor are any cases involving victim rights under Colorado law. Careless driving causing death or injury, possession of a weapon by a previous offender, felony eluding, sex offenses except failure to register, and Class 1 through 4 felonies excluding Drug Felony 4 are also ineligible.

Anyone who failed to appear for trial or for a jail or alternatives sentencing department sentence cannot participate in the event.

Virtual Assistance for Boulder, Jefferson and Gilpin Counties

Attorneys will be available virtually for individuals with qualifying warrants in Boulder, Jefferson, or Gilpin counties, representing an expansion of the multi-county warrant clearance partnership that began in 2023.

The coordinated approach allows residents to address warrants across multiple jurisdictions in a single visit through court-provided teleconferencing and secure connections for attorney-client confidentiality.

Jefferson County cleared over 200 warrants during partnership events in 2024. Eligibility requirements for Boulder, Jefferson and Gilpin counties are available at jeffco.us/4346/Fresh-Start and bouldercounty.gov/district-attorney/fresh-start.

Community Resources Available at Justice Center

Attendees can connect with organizations providing health, employment and assistance services including SummitStone Health Partners, Homeward Alliance, the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment, the Department of Human Services, the Veterans Service Office, and the Yarrow Collective.

A complete list of participating organizations is available at larimer.gov/warrant-clearance.

The warrant clearance program operates under judicial authority granted to district courts and aims to clear outstanding nonviolent warrants, prevent unnecessary jail bookings, connect attendees to social services and legal advocacy, and reduce failure-to-appear rates.

Chief Judge Susan Blanco has led the 8th Judicial District's community-based warrant clearance efforts, which have held events outside the courthouse since at least 2022 to improve court compliance and facilitate reentry for nonviolent offenders.

For questions about the event or to verify eligibility, residents can contact the Colorado Public Defenders Office at 970-493-1212 or [email protected].