Order in the Courts: Clear Your Arrest Warrants This Weekend!

Court officials, lawyers and probation officers from a half-dozen metro jurisdictions will host warrant-clearing events on Saturday, June 7, when people can resolve low-level, non-violent criminal charges without fear of being arrested as part of Fresh Start Warrant Clearance Day.

"If you have an active warrant, Fresh Start Warrant Clearance Day for eligible offenses may be the key to clearing up your past without arrest," the Colorado Judicial Branch says in an announcement of the program.

If a warrant was issued in Adams, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Gilpin or Jefferson counties, you can drop by the court without an appointment from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 7 to settle outstanding arrest warrants for certain misdemeanors, probation violations and felonies.

The City and County of Denver will host its event at the Denver Assessment, Intake and Diversion Center, 1370 Elati Street. The Denver DA has offered similar Fresh Start programs in the past; usually, a few dozen people come in and clear their arrest warrants.

The Fresh Start event for Jefferson and Gilpin counties will be at the Jefferson County Administration and Courts Facility, 100 Jefferson County Parkway in Golden. Boulder's will be at the Boulder County Justice Center, 1777 Sixth Street. Adams and Broomfield counties will host theirs virtually on the 17th Judicial District website. 

Arrest warrants issued for crimes listed under the Victims Rights Act won't be eligible for Fresh Start, which excludes violent crimes like assault, child abuse and domestic violence. Warrants for unlawful sexual contact, including prostitution, are also ineligible.

The warrants that are eligible are mostly for drug felonies and probation violations; participating counties plan to focus on clearing low-level misdemeanors, traffic offenses, nonviolent class five and six property offense felonies and class four drug felonies, which include selling or possessing small amounts of illegal drugs like LSD or fentanyl.

Denver is willing to clear a few harsher classes of felonies than are other jurisdictions. In addition to misdemeanors and probation violations, Denver will resolve class two, three and four drug felonies and class three, four, five and six non-violent felonies, which include some theft, burglary and criminal mischief charges. 

Defense attorneys will be available at the events. If people are not able to resolve their outstanding warrants right away, they can set a new court date or, for those with a probation violation, get back on track to completing probation.

And scofflaws, take note: Participating jurisdictions promise that "no arrests will be made regardless of eligibility."