Located in central Colorado, at the base of the Rocky Mountains, east of the Front Range, El Paso County is home to over 750,000 residents. Established in 1861, it has its county seat in Colorado Springs and covers approximately 5,516 square kilometers. The County is home to the United States Air Force Academy, a prestigious military academy.

Courts in El Paso County

The El Paso County trial court system comprises District, County, and Municipal Courts. The El Paso County District Court is a court of general jurisdiction and presides over criminal and civil cases such as felonies, misdemeanors, and civil disputes. The District Court also has a Probate and Family Law Divisions. The Probate Division administers deceased estates, wills, guardianships, and trusts, while the Domestic Relations Division presides over adoptions, paternity lawsuits, child custody, and mental health cases.

The County Court has limited jurisdiction over civil and criminal cases. It presides over petty offenses and general civil claims for sums less than $15,000. The Court has a Small Claims Division for civil claims of less than $7,500. It also handles restraining orders and eviction cases. The Municipal Courts in El Paso County handle violations of city and town ordinances, such as traffic tickets, minor criminal offenses, and municipal code violations.

Where to Find Public Court Records in El Paso County

Public court records are documents and papers from the courts that are accessible to El Paso residents. All public court records from El Paso County courts are available at the courthouse where the lawsuits were filed and heard. Record seekers may visit the courthouse to view or obtain copies of the court document. The courts also permit mail requests for public court records in El Paso County. Interested persons may also access court dockets through the 4th Judicial District Dockets.

Types of Public Court Records in El Paso County

Public court records are an important part of the judicial system in El Paso County. Access to public court records ensures transparency and fairness while providing valuable information to the public. The following types of public court records are open to El Paso County residents:

• Criminal Court Records: Felonies such as homicide and murder, and misdemeanors, including simple assault and vandalism
• Civil Court Records: Employment disputes, intellectual property disputes, property disputes, and personal injury claims
• Probate Court Records: Administration of wills, guardianship, conservatorship, trusts, name change
• Traffic Court Records: Traffic citation and parking tickets
• Family Court Records: Child custody, child and spousal support records, and divorce records

Confidential Court Records in El Paso County

Confidential court records are documents from the courts unavailable to the public. Confidential court records contain private information where disclosure may threaten the safety of the record holder. Record seekers cannot view or obtain copies of confidential court records without a court order. Therefore, juvenile court records, dependency and neglect cases, adoption records, medical and mental health records, and trade secrets are excluded from the public. Public court records may contain private or personal identifying information considered exempt or restricted from the public. The court records redact information such as Social Security numbers, medical records, address and personal email address, tax identification numbers, and driver’s license numbers, which are excluded from court records.

Juvenile Delinquency in El Paso, CO

Unfortunately, in many areas of the El Paso County, juvenile delinquency crimes are on the rise. There are many reasons for the increase in youth offenders. The juvenile sentence in Colorado often depends on the severity of the crime, the number of offenses, and other family matters.

In 2017, a total of 270 juvenile cases were reported for every 100,000 people age 10 to adulthood in the jurisdiction of El Paso County. Of that total, 0% of those proceedings were delinquencies which equaled 1 court cases. Another 100% were dependency cases that accounted for 269 of the juvenile cases.

A lot of counties, including, El Paso County, are focusing on family health and relationships rather than punishment for juvenile crimes. Future El Paso County juvenile delinquency statistics will show whether or not this approach is working.

Government of El Paso County, CO

https://www.colorado.gov/

County Seat:	Colorado Springs
Government Type:	County
Authority:	Dillon's Rule
Year Organized:	1861
Total Square Miles:	2,130
2019 Population:	699,232
Persons/Square Mile:	0.00
County Contact:	200 S Cascade Ave Centennial Hall Colorado Springs , CO 80903-2202 http://www.elpasoco.com

El Paso County, CO Courts