HB 17-1338

HB 17-1338, a Colorado bill that has been signed into law, ensures faster notification and quicker hearings for people held on municipal holds. If someone is detained in jail due to a municipal hold and doesn't get a personal bond right away, the jail must notify the relevant municipal court within four hours if it's the only reason they're being held. The bill requires courts to set up an email or phone system to receive these notifications promptly. Once notified, the court must hold a hearing within two days (or four days in certain cases) to either arraign the defendant or address any failure to appear issues and then decide on bond conditions. This law aims to reduce unnecessary detentions by ensuring timely court appearances for those held on municipal holds.

Official Summary

If a person is detained in a jail on a municipal hold and does not immediately receive a personal recognizance bond, the jail shall promptly notify the municipal court of the hold or, if the municipal hold is the sole basis for the person's detention, notify the municipal court of the hold within 4 hours. All municipal courts shall establish an e-mail address, if internet service is available, whereby the municipal court can receive notifications from jails. If internet service is not available, the municipal court shall establish a telephone line with voicemail for the same purpose. Once a demanding municipal court receives the notice that its hold is the sole basis for the detention, the court shall hold a hearing within 2 days of receiving the notice; except that if the defendant has failed to appear at least twice in the case and the jail is in a different county than the county where the municipality is located, the demanding municipal court shall hold a hearing within 4 days. At the hearing the municipal court must either: Arraign the defendant; or If the defendant is being held for failure to appear, conduct the proceedings related to the failure to appear unless the proceeding is a trial or evidentiary hearing or requires the presence of a witness. If the case is not resolved at the hearing, the municipal court shall conduct a bond hearing and release the defendant on bond under the least restrictive conditions possible. If the defendant does not appear before the municipal court within the required time frames, the jail holding the defendant shall release the defendant on an unsecured personal recognizance bond with no other conditions returnable to the municipal court. A municipal court shall adopt standing orders to effectuate the defendant's release if the defendant is not transferred to the municipal court within the required time frames. (Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Votes