CHAPTER 8
MUNICIPAL COURT

ARTICLE 1
MUNICIPAL COURT--CREATION, COMPOSITION AND JURISDICTION

Section 8-1-1. Definitions. The following definitions shall apply in this ordinance unless the text otherwise requires:

(a)

The terms "municipal court" and "court" shall mean the municipal court for the City of Northglenn, State of Colorado.

(b)

The term "municipal judge" or "judge" shall mean any judge of the municipal court, including the presiding judge, any assistant judge, and any other judge appointed to act temporarily as a judge of the municipal court.

(c)

The term "city" shall mean the City of Northglenn, Colorado.

(d)

The term "city attorney" shall include the city attorney of Northglenn, assistant city attorneys, the city prosecutor, and assistant city prosecutors.

(e)

The term "court administrator" shall mean the chief administrative employee of the municipal court.

[Source: Ord. 949, 1989]

Section 8-1-2. Municipal Court Created--Jurisdiction. Pursuant to City Charter, the municipal court for the City of Northglenn is created to hear and try all cases arising out of alleged violations of ordinances and the Charter of the City of Northglenn.

[Source: Ord. 628, 1981]

Section 8-1-3. Court of Record. Effective April 1, 1985, the municipal court shall be a qualified court of record as defined in C.R.S. ยง13-10-102(3) as currently enacted or hereafter amended.All appeals from the municipal court shall be to the District Court in and for the County of Adams as provided by Colorado Statute.

[Source: Ord. 778, 1985]

Section 8-1-4. Municipal Judges--Appointment--Removal.

(a)

The municipal court shall be presided over by, and its functions exercised, by a municipal judge who shall be a licensed member of the Bar of this State in good standing, who shall be appointed by the City Council of the City of Northglenn for a term of up to two years and who may be reappointed for a subsequent term or terms. The municipal judge shall receive a fixed salary or compensation, not dependent upon the outcome of the matters to be decided by him, and to be fixed by ordinance from time to time.

(b)

Any vacancy in the office of municipal judge shall be filled by appointment of the City Council for the remainder of the unexpired term.

(c)

The City Council may appoint such additional municipal judges or deputy judges as may be necessary to act in case of temporary absence, sickness, disqualification, or other inability of the presiding municipal judge to act.

(d)

The City Council shall designate one municipal judge as presiding municipal judge who shall serve in that capacity during the term for which he was appointed.

(e)

The City Council may remove a municipal judge for just cause, including but not limited to the following:

(1)

That he has been found guilty of a felony or any other crime involving moral turpitude;

(2)

That he has a disability which interferes with the performance of his duties and which is or is likely to become of a permanent character;

(3)

That he has willfully or persistently failed to perform his duties;

(4)

That he is habitually intemperate; or

(5)

That he has violated one or more of the Canons of Judicial Ethics or any section of this ordinance.

[Source: Ord. 628, 1981; 1557, 2010]

Section 8-1-5. Qualifications of Municipal Judges.

(a)

The presiding municipal judge shall be a licensed member of the bar of the State of Colorado, in good standing.

(b)

Any deputy municipal judges shall have the same qualifications as set forth for the presiding municipal judge.

[Source: Ord. 628, 1981]

Section 8-1-6. Municipal Court Personnel.

(a)

The City Manager shall appoint such Municipal Court personnel, staff or employees, subject to the approval of the presiding municipal judge, as the City Manager deems necessary to process the caseload of the Municipal Court.

(b)

The Municipal Court personnel, staff or employees shall have such duties as are provided by law, ordinance, personnel rule, or court rule, and as are delegated to them by the City Manager or the presiding municipal judge.

(c)

The salaries of the Municipal Court personnel, staff or employees shall be as provided by ordinance or personnel regulation and shall be a fixed annual compensation payable on a monthly, or other periodic, basis.

[Source: Ord. 1018, 1991]

Section 8-1-7. Reserved. (Ord. 1018, 1991).

[Source: Ord. 1018, 1991]

Section 8-1-8. Bond. The court administrator and clerk of the municipal court shall give a performance bond in the sum of $2000 or more to the City of Northglenn.

(a)

Such performance bond shall be approved by the City Council and shall be conditioned on the faithful performance of his duties and for the faithful accounting and payment of all funds deposited with or received by the court.

(b)

Any deputy municipal court clerks that may be hired shall likewise be required to post a performance bond in a like amount to guarantee faithful performance of his duties and for faithful accounting and payment of all funds deposited with or received by the municipal court.

[Source: Ord. 628, 1981]

Section 8-1-9. Court Facilities and Supplies. The City Council shall furnish the municipal court with suitable courtroom facilities and sufficient funds for the acquisition of all necessary books, supplies, and furniture for the proper conduct of the business of the court.

[Source: Ord. 628, 1981]

Section 8-1-10. Fines and Costs.

(a)

All fines, costs, jury fees, and other fees collected or received by the municipal court shall be reported and paid weekly to the treasurer of the City of Northglenn.

(b)

The City Treasurer of the City of Northglenn shall from time to time deposit such fines, costs, jury fees and other fees in the General Fund of the City of Northglenn.

(c)

Pending deposit in the General Fund, the City Treasurer may keep such fines, costs, jury fees, and other fees as revolving funds for the operation of the municipal court, but he shall deposit the balance of such revolving funds in the General Fund at least once each fiscal year.

[Source: Ord. 628, 1981]

Section 8-1-11. Transcript Deposit. The Court Administrator of the Municipal Court shall require a transcript deposit for all appeals from the Municipal Court to the District Court in and for the County of Adams, payable to the Northglenn Municipal Court according to the following transcript deposit schedule:

(a)

$125.00 transcript deposit for a trial to the Court;

(b)

$200.00 transcript deposit for a trial to a jury.

[Source: Ord. 778, 1985]

Section 8-1-12. Transcript Preparation Cost. The Court Administrator of the Municipal Court shall charge the transcript preparation fee and photocopy cost prescribed by the Supreme Court of Colorado.The transcript deposit shall be applied against the preparation cost of a transcript. If the preparation cost of the transcript is less than the transcript deposit, then the balance will be refunded by the Court Administrator. If the preparation cost of the transcript is more than the transcript deposit, then the Court Administrator shall require the requesting party to pay the additional cost for preparing the transcript.

[Source: Ord. 812, 1985]

Section 8-1-13. Waiver of Transcript Deposit and Preparation Cost. The Court Administrator shall provide for the waiver of the transcript deposit and transcript preparation cost in all instances of proven indigency.

[Source: Ord. 778, 1985]

Section 8-1-14. Sealing of Criminal Conviction Records; Costs.

(a)

The Municipal Court is hereby authorized upon application submitted to the Municipal Court to seal Municipal Court convictions as provided by law.

(b)

The fee for filing an application for the sealing of conviction records under this Section shall be eighty-five dollars ($85.00).

[Source: Ord. 1798, 2020]