Weld County DUI Court Process
Complete guide to arraignment, court dates, plea options, and what to expect during your DUIcase in Weld County.
Court Information
Weld County General Sessions Court
Court Day Checklist
Required Documents
Day-Of Reminders
Tip: Screenshot or print this checklist. Check items off as you prepare the night before.
Court Process Timeline
Arraignment
First court appearance, typically within 24-48 hours after arrest.
What Happens:
- Judge reads charges against you
- You enter initial plea (usually Not Guilty)
- Bail is set or reviewed
- Next court date is scheduled
- Public defender appointed if needed
Pre-Trial Hearings
Multiple court dates over 2-6 months where your attorney negotiates with prosecutors.
Attorney Activities:
- Review police reports and evidence
- File motions to suppress evidence
- Challenge breathalyzer/blood test results
- Negotiate plea bargains
- Discuss diversion program eligibility
Plea Bargain or Trial
Most DUI cases (over 90%) resolve through plea bargaining, not trial.
Plea Bargain Benefits
- • Reduced charges
- • Lighter sentence
- • Certainty of outcome
- • Lower costs
Trial Risks
- • Maximum sentence if convicted
- • Higher legal fees
- • Uncertainty
- • Time consuming
Sentencing
Judge determines penalties based on the plea agreement or trial verdict. Sentences may include fines, probation, jail time, license suspension, IID, SCRAM monitoring, and/or DUI classes.
Top Rated Weld County DUI Attorneys
When facing a DUI charge in Weld County, finding local, experienced representation is critical. Below are DUI defense attorneys serving Weld County, CO; paid listings are advertisements and ratings are from Google.
These are free, unclaimed business listings compiled from public sources. They have not been verified or reviewed by DUI Guide, are not paid advertisements, and listing order does not reflect quality or recommendation. Is this your business? You can claim your listing for free.
Cummings & Petrone Criminal Defense Law Firm
★ 5.0 (116) on GoogleLaw Offices of Robert E. Ray
★ 4.6 (104) on GoogleDon't Face This Alone
A DUI attorney can make the difference between a conviction and a dismissal, between jail time and probation. They know local judges, prosecutors, and can challenge evidence that you might not even know is challengeable.
Find Weld County DUI AttorneysFrequently Asked Questions
The 19th Judicial District doesn't operate out of one building in Greeley — it's spread across three, and showing up at the wrong one means missing the hearing entirely. The Weld County Centennial Center at 915 10th Street houses the bulk of active courtrooms, the Clerk of Court's office, Jury Commissioner, and the Self-Help Center, making it the default destination for a criminal arraignment or trial. The Weld County Courthouse at 901 9th Avenue is a separate, historic structure a few blocks away that handles specialized dockets like Water Court and Probate — appear there for a DUI arraignment by mistake and nothing happens on your case. Plaza West at 910 10th Avenue is purely administrative, housing Probation Services and transcript requests. Court Executive Marci Hoffman and Clerk of Court Rachael Erickson oversee the non-judicial side of all three buildings, and the Self-Help Center on the Centennial Center's first floor, staffed by coordinators Maria Maas and Sandra Perez, provides forms and procedural guidance for civil and family matters — though by design they cannot give actual legal advice, and Wednesdays are typically appointment-only rather than walk-in.
The 19th JD takes a more permissive approach to phones than some districts — they can come inside, as long as they're muted — but the recording ban (Canon 3) applies everywhere in the building, not just inside a courtroom. Broadcasting, recording, or photographing anything anywhere on the premises requires written approval from Judicial Administration, full stop, and individual judges can tighten the rules further in their own courtrooms. Security screening runs airport-style, and visitors are advised to arrive 10 to 15 minutes ahead just to clear it.
Parking around the Greeley campus has real traps built in. The juror lot off 11th Street between 8th and 9th Avenue is the one spot that doesn't require a permit, making it the only safe option for a long hearing. Lot 1, west of Plaza West, is reserved strictly for employees — park there without authorization and expect an immediate tow. Street parking on 9th Avenue and 10th Street runs a two-hour limit, and court proceedings routinely run longer than that; a parking ticket from the City of Greeley isn't excused just because the hearing ran long. The Train Depot lot at 7th Avenue and 10th Street offers a genuine free alternative worth knowing about in advance.
For repeat offenders, the district runs a post-sentence, voluntary DUI Court requiring a minimum 18-month commitment, coordinated by Heather Nakamura — participants sign a contract agreeing to intensive supervision, random testing, and associating only within sober networks. A parallel Adult Treatment Court addresses broader substance abuse issues using a similar model. And one scheduling detail worth knowing if an arrest happens over a weekend: Magistrate Marcelo Kopcow specifically handles weekend bond hearings, which run on a tighter schedule than weekday sessions — a real, functioning path to a bond hearing without waiting until Monday.