Conejos County DUI Court Process

The Conejos County Courthouse burned down in August 2024. It hasn't reopened, and the old address, 6683 County Road 13 in Conejos, is a closed, unusable building. GPS, old court notices, and even some state websites still point there, so the first real risk in this county isn't the hearing itself. It's showing up at the wrong place.

Court proceedings now happen at 603 Main Street in Antonito, inside a building called the S.P.M.D.T.U. Concilio Superior, a fraternal lodge repurposed as a temporary courthouse rather than a government building built for the job. Nothing about the exterior signals "court." People drive past it looking for something more official. The clerk's office keeps regular hours there, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., reachable at (719) 376-5465 or conejosclerk@judicial.state.co.us. Mail still goes to the old P.O. Box 128 in Conejos.

There's no dedicated parking lot at the temporary site. Parking is on-street along Main Street only, and the lobby is small. Metal-detector screening still applies despite the converted setting, and in bad weather a line can back up onto the sidewalk outside. Arrive 30 to 45 minutes before a hearing; there isn't room or time to absorb a short delay.

Right after the fire, the court leaned heavily on WebEx for remote appearances. That's shifted back toward in-person hearings at the Antonito location, but old forms and notices sometimes still reference the WebEx link. Don't assume a virtual appearance is allowed just because a piece of paper mentions it — a specific motion under CJD 23-03 has to be filed and granted first. Absent that, show up in person.

Misdemeanor DUI cases go before County Court Judge Jason T. Kelly. Felony charges, including a fourth or subsequent DUI, go to the 12th Judicial District Court, where the case can land with Judge Kim Cortez-Rodriguez, Judge Crista Newmyer-Olsen, or Judge Michael A. Gonzales. Chief Judge Amanda C. Hopkins oversees the district. Case status and hearing dates can be checked through the Colorado Judicial Branch's docket search, filtered to Conejos County.

The temporary building's casual setting throws people off on dress code. It's a community hall, not a courtroom with marble and a raised bench, and defendants sometimes show up in jeans or work clothes as a result. The judges haven't relaxed their standards to match the building. Business casual is the floor, not a suggestion, especially given how much scrutiny the court's own circumstances already draw.

If a sentence includes fines, don't assume the payment office is down the hall from the clerk. Collections is centralized in Alamosa, at the Justice Center, 8955 Independence Way, a separate building in a separate county from where the case was actually heard. The Colorado Judicial Branch's online payment portal avoids that drive entirely for anyone just trying to set up or make a payment.