Senate Bill 25-024 Introduced

A Bill for an Act

• Page 1, Line 101Concerning judicial officers.

Bill Summary

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at http://leg.colorado.gov.)

Beginning July 1, 2025, the bill increases by one the number of district court judges in the eighth, thirteenth, nineteenth, and twenty-third judicial districts; increases by 2 the number of district court judges in the fourth, seventeenth, and eighteenth judicial districts; and increases by one the number of county court judges in Douglas county, La Plata county, Larimer county, Mesa county, Weld county, Eagle county, Adams county, and Arapahoe county.

Beginning July 1, 2026, the bill increases by one the number of district court judges in the second, seventh, seventeenth, eighteenth, and twentieth judicial districts and the Denver probate court; increases by 2 the number of district court judges in the fourth judicial district; and increases by 3 the number of judges serving on the court of appeals.

Current law requires district court judges regularly assigned to Arapahoe county to maintain offices within Arapahoe county. The bill allows the district court judges assigned to Arapahoe county to maintain offices outside of the county seat.

• Page 2, Line 1Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:

• Page 2, Line 2SECTION 1.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 13-4-103, amend (1) as follows:

• Page 2, Line 313-4-103.  Number of judges - qualifications. (1)  The number

• Page 2, Line 4of judges of the court of appeals shall be is sixteen. Effective July 1,

• Page 2, Line 52006, the number of judges of the court of appeals shall be is nineteen.

• Page 2, Line 6Subject to available appropriations, effective July 1, 2008, the number of

• Page 2, Line 7judges of the court of appeals shall be is twenty-two. Subject to

• Page 2, Line 8available appropriations, effective July 1, 2026, the number of judges of the court of appeals is twenty-five.

• Page 2, Line 9SECTION 2.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 13-5-103, add (2)(f) as follows:

• Page 2, Line 1013-5-103.  Second district. (2) (f)  Subject to available

• Page 2, Line 11appropriations, effective July 1, 2026, the number of judges for the second judicial district is twenty-eight.

• Page 2, Line 12SECTION 3.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 13-5-105, add (2)(i) and (2)(j) as follows:

• Page 2, Line 1313-5-105.  Fourth district. (2) (i)  Subject to available

• Page 2, Line 14appropriations, effective July 1, 2025, the number of judges for the fourth judicial district is twenty-six.

• Page 2, Line 15(j)  Subject to available appropriations, effective July 1,

• Page 3, Line 12026, the number of judges for the fourth judicial district is twenty-eight.

• Page 3, Line 2SECTION 4.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 13-5-108, amend (2)(c); and add (2)(d) as follows:

• Page 3, Line 313-5-108.  Seventh district. (2) (c)  Notwithstanding the

• Page 3, Line 4provisions of paragraph (a) of this subsection (2), Subject to available

• Page 3, Line 5appropriations, effective July 1, 2011, the number of judges for the seventh judicial district shall be is five.

• Page 3, Line 6(d)  Subject to available appropriations, effective July 1, 2026, the number of judges for the seventh judicial district is six.

• Page 3, Line 7SECTION 5.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 13-5-109, add (2)(f) as follows:

• Page 3, Line 813-5-109.  Eighth district. (2) (f)  Subject to available

• Page 3, Line 9appropriations, effective July 1, 2025, the number of judges for the eighth judicial district is ten.

• Page 3, Line 10SECTION 6.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 13-5-114, add (2)(c) as follows:

• Page 3, Line 1113-5-114.  Thirteenth district. (2) (c)  Subject to available

• Page 3, Line 12appropriations, effective July 1, 2025, the number of judges for the thirteenth judicial district is six.

• Page 3, Line 13SECTION 7.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 13-5-118, add (2)(h) and (2)(i) as follows:

• Page 3, Line 1413-5-118.  Seventeenth district. (2) (h)  Subject to available

• Page 3, Line 15appropriations, effective July 1, 2025, the number of judges for the seventeenth judicial district is eighteen.

• Page 3, Line 16(i)  Subject to available appropriations, effective July 1,

• Page 3, Line 172026, the number of judges for the seventeenth judicial district is nineteen.

• Page 4, Line 1SECTION 8.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 13-5-119, amend (2)(e); and add (2)(d)(VIII) and (2)(d)(IX) as follows:

• Page 4, Line 213-5-119.  Eighteenth district. (2) (d) (VIII)  Subject to

• Page 4, Line 3available appropriations, effective July 1, 2025, the number of judges for the eighteenth judicial district is nineteen.

• Page 4, Line 4(IX)  Subject to available appropriations, effective July 1,

• Page 4, Line 52026, the number of judges for the eighteenth judicial district is twenty.

• Page 4, Line 6(e)  The district judges regularly assigned to Arapahoe county shall

• Page 4, Line 7maintain their offices in one location within Arapahoe county may maintain offices outside of the county seat.

• Page 4, Line 8SECTION 9.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 13-5-120, add (2)(i) as follows:

• Page 4, Line 913-5-120.  Nineteenth district. (2) (i)  Subject to available

• Page 4, Line 10appropriations, effective July 1, 2025, the number of judges for the nineteenth judicial district is twelve.

• Page 4, Line 11SECTION 10.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 13-5-121, add (2)(e) as follows:

• Page 4, Line 1213-5-121.  Twentieth district. (2) (e)  Subject to available

• Page 4, Line 13appropriations, effective July 1, 2026, the number of judges for the twentieth judicial district is ten.

• Page 4, Line 14SECTION 11.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 13-5-123.1, add (3) as follows:

• Page 4, Line 1513-5-123.1.  Twenty-third district. (3)  Subject to available

• Page 4, Line 16appropriations, effective July 1, 2025, the number of judges for

• Page 4, Line 17the twenty-third judicial district is nine.

• Page 5, Line 1SECTION 12.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, repeal and reenact, with amendments, 13-6-202 as follows:

• Page 5, Line 213-6-202.  Number of judges. (1)  There is one county judge in each county, except that:

• Page 5, Line 3(a)  Subject to available appropriations, the number of county judges in the county of Jefferson is nine;

• Page 5, Line 4(b)  Subject to available appropriations, the number of county judges in the county of El Paso is ten;

• Page 5, Line 5(c) (I)  Subject to available appropriations, the number of county judges in the county of Adams is eight; and

• Page 5, Line 6(II)  Subject to available appropriations, effective July 1, 2025, the number of county judges in the county of Adams is nine;

• Page 5, Line 7(d) (I)  Subject to available appropriations, the number of county judges in the county of Arapahoe is eight; and

• Page 5, Line 8(II)  Subject to available appropriations, effective July 1,

• Page 5, Line 92025, the number of county judges in the county of Arapahoe is nine;

• Page 5, Line 10(e)  Subject to available appropriations, the number of county judges in the county of Boulder is five;

• Page 5, Line 11(f)  Subject to available appropriations, the number of county judges in the county of Pueblo is three;

• Page 5, Line 12(g)  Subject to available appropriations, the number of

• Page 5, Line 13county judges in the city and county of Denver is the number of county judges provided by the charter and ordinances thereof;

• Page 5, Line 14(h)  (I)  Subject to available appropriations, the number of county judges in the county of Larimer is five; and

• Page 5, Line 15(II)  Subject to available appropriations, effective July 1, 2025, the number of county judges in the county of Larimer is six;

• Page 6, Line 1(i) (I)  Subject to available appropriations, the number of county judges in the county of Douglas is three; and

• Page 6, Line 2(II)  Subject to available appropriations, effective July 1,

• Page 6, Line 32025, the number of county judges in the county of Douglas is four;

• Page 6, Line 4(j)  Subject to available appropriations, effective July 1,

• Page 6, Line 52025, the number of county judges in the county of La Plata is two;

• Page 6, Line 6(k) (I)  Subject to available appropriations, the number of county judges in the county of Mesa is three; and

• Page 6, Line 7(II)  Subject to available appropriations, effective July 1, 2025, the number of county judges in the county of Mesa is four;

• Page 6, Line 8(l) (I)  Subject to available appropriations, the number of county judges in the county of Weld is four; and

• Page 6, Line 9(II)  Subject to available appropriations, effective July 1,

• Page 6, Line 102025, the number of county judges in the county of Weld is five; and

• Page 6, Line 11(m)  Subject to available appropriations, effective July 1, 2025, the number of county judges in the county of Eagle is two.

• Page 6, Line 12(2) (a)  One of the county judges in Boulder county shall

• Page 6, Line 13maintain a courtroom in the city of Longmont at least three days per week.

• Page 6, Line 14(b)  A judge of the Eagle county court shall conduct

• Page 6, Line 15court business in that portion of Eagle county lying in the

• Page 6, Line 16Roaring Fork river drainage area in a manner sufficient to deal

• Page 6, Line 17with the business before the court.

• Page 7, Line 1SECTION 13.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, amend 13-9-104 as follows:

• Page 7, Line 213-9-104.  Number of judges. (1)  There shall be one judge is one judge of the probate court of the city and county of Denver.

• Page 7, Line 3(2)  Effective July 1, 2026, there are two judges of the probate court of the city and county of Denver.

• Page 7, Line 4SECTION 14.  Safety clause. The general assembly finds,

• Page 7, Line 5determines, and declares that this act is necessary for the immediate

• Page 7, Line 6preservation of the public peace, health, or safety or for appropriations for

• Page 7, Line 7the support and maintenance of the departments of the state and state institutions.