Date: January, 2010
Contact: Judge Hada or Denver County Court Administrator Matt McConville
Address: City and County Building, Denver, CO 80204
Phone: 720-865- 7910 Judge Kerry Hada
720-865-7800 Matt McConville
Denver County Court is offering a one day program, “RAP it Up (Restorative
Accountability Program)”, for persons of all ages who have an outstanding
warrant for a ticket for Denver County Juvenile Court known as 191-J to
clear their warrant on February 16, 2010. This opportunity will allow
persons with outstanding warrants that were issued from Courtroom 191-J, and
are more than a year old, to come to court and take care of their warrant
without arrest. Members of the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar have
volunteered to provide attorney counsel free of charge to all who want to
take advantage of this opportunity and they will be present on site.
Denver County Juvenile Court hears cases where a juvenile has been ticketed
for a minor offense such as curfew, petty theft, possession of marijuana,
offenses at schools, etc. In 2009 the court heard over 6400 cases. While the
original offense may be minor, failure to clear the case results in a
warrant and can impact a person far into adulthood, long after the age of
18. Many do not know that failure to clear the warrant can result in arrest
including time in jail, a hold against a driving license and an adult arrest
record. The driving related “hold” prohibits persons from obtaining or
renewing a driver’s license and in many cases, suspension of a current
license. Persons convicted of driving under a suspended license face jail
time. This program offers a compromise between holding persons who have
violated the law or a City ordinance accountable while allowing for the
court to clear its backlog of outstanding warrants.
Persons taking advantage of the “RAP it Up” program should be prepared to
pay a minimum fee of $30 for the Outstanding Judgment Warrant and court
costs of $46. In some cases the court may impose restitution and/or
community service. Arrangements have been made with the Salvation Army food
bank so that persons can take care of community service hours on that same
day, February 16, 2010. In cases where the $46 court costs are a financial
hardship, persons can work off the hours at the food bank. Transportation
from the Court to the food back and back will be provided by Denver Parks
and Recreation.
