Monument DUI Lawyer
On This Page
- A DUI Arrest in Monument
- Who Stopped You: Monument Police, Deputies, or Troopers
- How a Monument DUI Case Unfolds
- Monument Municipal Court or El Paso County Court?
- The License Case and the 7-Day Deadline
- What Gets Reviewed in a Monument DUI Defense
- Other Monument Tickets and Court Rules
- Working With a Monument DUI Lawyer
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Sources
A DUI Arrest in Monument
Monument sits along Interstate 25 at the north end of El Paso County, where the highway climbs over Monument Hill on the way to Denver. A DUI stop here can be made by any of three agencies, and that choice affects where your paperwork comes from and which court it names.
Wherever the stop happened, a DUI arrest opens two cases at once. The criminal charge goes to court. The license case goes to the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles, and it has a 7-day deadline that catches many people off guard.
This page follows a Monument DUI from the roadside to the courtroom. For the full penalty tables, see our Colorado Springs DUI page. This page focuses on the local path a Monument case takes.
Who Stopped You: Monument Police, Deputies, or Troopers
The agency on your paperwork matters. It tells you who has the reports and video, and it helps predict which court the case will be filed in.
| Agency | Where it patrols | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Monument Police Department | Inside the Town of Monument | 645 Beacon Lite Road, Monument, CO 80132; 719-481-3253 (weekdays, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) |
| El Paso County Sheriff's Office | Unincorporated El Paso County outside town limits | Non-emergency dispatch, 719-390-5555 (staffed 24 hours) |
| Colorado State Patrol | State highways, including I-25 | See the arresting trooper's paperwork |
The Monument Police Department and Town Hall share the same address, 645 Beacon Lite Road. After hours, the department's non-emergency calls go to El Paso County dispatch. Outside town limits, the Sheriff's deputies list proactive DUI patrol among their regular duties.
On the interstate, Colorado State Patrol troopers enforce traffic law under the agency's statewide highway safety mission. A trooper's DUI arrest is a state case filed in El Paso County Court.
How a Monument DUI Case Unfolds
Most Monument DUI cases follow the same sequence. Knowing it helps you see where the decisions are made.
- The stop. The officer needs reasonable suspicion of a traffic violation or a crime. Weaving, speeding on the hill, an equipment problem, or a 911 report are common starting points.
- Roadside investigation. The officer asks questions and may request roadside exercises and a handheld breath test. For drivers 21 and older, those are voluntary.
- Arrest and the test choice. After an arrest, Colorado's Express Consent law under C.R.S. 42-4-1301.1 generally requires a breath or blood test. Refusing brings a license revocation of at least one year.
- Booking or release. Depending on the circumstances, you may be released on a summons or taken to the El Paso County Jail at the Criminal Justice Center, 2739 East Las Vegas Street in Colorado Springs.
- Bond advisement. People held in custody see a judge by video. The 4th Judicial District holds in-custody video advisements weekdays at 1:30 p.m., with weekend hearings on Saturday.
- License paperwork. After a breath test or refusal, the officer usually takes your license and issues a notice of revocation. The 7-day clock starts that day.
- First court date. Your summons lists the court and the date. For most DUIs, that is El Paso County Court in downtown Colorado Springs.
Families looking for someone arrested overnight can use our El Paso County inmate search guide.
Monument Municipal Court or El Paso County Court?
Monument has its own municipal court, at 645 Beacon Lite Road, and it meets on the second Wednesday of each month. The town describes the court's caseload as traffic and parking violations, animal offenses, municipal code violations, and other petty offenses. Its court page does not list DUI.
The town also warns that Monument police officers can issue tickets to either Monument Municipal Court or El Paso County Court. In practice, a DUI is generally charged as a state offense under C.R.S. 42-4-1301 and filed in El Paso County Court. Your summons is the final word, so read the court name before you plan anything else.
| Charge | Usual court | Address |
|---|---|---|
| DUI, DUI per se, DWAI, or DUID | El Paso County Court | El Paso County Judicial Building, 270 S. Tejon Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80903 |
| Felony DUI, vehicular assault, vehicular homicide | El Paso County District Court | 270 S. Tejon Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80903 |
| Town traffic, parking, and petty offenses written by Monument police | Monument Municipal Court | 645 Beacon Lite Road, Monument, CO 80132 |
What El Paso County Court Means for You
State DUI cases are prosecuted by the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office, whose County Court unit handles misdemeanor and traffic offenses in El Paso and Teller counties. Court is in person unless the judge authorizes otherwise by written order, so expect to drive downtown for appearances. The main court number is 719-452-5000.
From there, the case moves through discovery, plea negotiations, motions, and, if needed, trial. Our DUI page walks through each stage and the penalties, which start at $600 to $1,000 in fines for a first DUI.
The License Case and the 7-Day Deadline
The DMV case runs on its own track under C.R.S. 42-2-126. If you took a breath test or refused, you generally have 7 days to request an Express Consent hearing. If you took a blood test, the DMV mails a notice with its own deadline once results come back.
A timely request keeps you driving on a temporary permit until the hearing. The hearing is also the first chance to question the arresting officer under oath, which can shape the criminal case.
Criminal Defense Colorado Springs, P.C. can submit the hearing request and represent you at the hearing. Our DMV hearing page explains what happens there, and our article on what a DUI costs covers reinstatement and insurance.
Drivers Passing Through on I-25
Interstate traffic means some drivers arrested near Monument hold a license from another state. An out-of-state license cannot be revoked by Colorado, but your privilege to drive here can be, and your home state may act on it. The 7-day deadline applies to you as well.
What Gets Reviewed in a Monument DUI Defense
No lawyer can promise a particular result. What a defense lawyer can do is test each link in the case, starting with the reason for the stop. Problems early in the chain can affect everything after it.
Video From the Stop
Body camera and patrol car video show the driving, the conversation, and the roadside exercises. They are compared against the written report line by line. Video from an I-25 shoulder at night, on a grade, or in snow can show conditions that explain a poor performance.
Testing Records
Breath machine certification and maintenance records, the observation period, and the operator's certification all matter. For blood tests, the draw, storage, and lab procedures are reviewed for gaps.
The Advisement and Paperwork
Officers must properly advise drivers of the Express Consent law. Errors in that advisement, or in how a refusal was recorded, can matter in court and at the DMV.
Charge Reductions
Colorado limits pleas from DUI to non-alcohol offenses, but a reduction to DWAI is possible when the evidence supports it. See our article on DWAI versus DUI. Drug-related impaired driving is covered on our DUID page.
Other Monument Tickets and Court Rules
Not every Monument stop ends in a DUI. A stop may produce only a speeding ticket, a careless driving citation, or a municipal code violation. Those cases often stay in Monument Municipal Court, which has its own rules.
- Two dockets. On court day, the juvenile docket starts at 9:00 a.m. and the adult docket at 10:00 a.m.
- Rescheduling. Contact the Court Clerk at least 10 days before the original date. You must sign a Promise to Appear form that waives your speedy trial right.
- Missing court on a minor violation. The judge may enter a default judgment of guilty, with a $30 court cost and a $30 default fee added to the fine, and the default is reported to the Colorado Department of Revenue.
- Missing court on a criminal charge. The judge may issue a bench warrant, with a $30 court cost and a $65 warrant fee. See our warrants page.
- Clerk's office. 719-481-3083, Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., closed Fridays.
For speeding and points questions, see our traffic ticket page. Neighboring Palmer Lake runs a separate police department and court; see our Palmer Lake page.
Working With a Monument DUI Lawyer
Attorney Michael W. Moran has been licensed in Colorado since 1995 and is a former municipal court judge. He represents drivers charged with DUI, DWAI, and DUID in El Paso County Court, handles the DMV hearing that runs alongside the criminal case, and appears in Monument Municipal Court on town matters. Other attorneys he works with assist when a case needs it.
Criminal Defense Colorado Springs, P.C. is based in Colorado Springs and does not have an office in Monument. State DUI cases from Monument are heard downtown as well.
The first conversation covers the stop, the testing, your license deadline, and the court your summons names. Criminal Defense Colorado Springs, P.C. offers free, confidential consultations, and because the DMV deadline is only 7 days, it helps to call early.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where will my Monument DUI case be heard?
Most DUI charges are filed in El Paso County Court at the El Paso County Judicial Building, 270 S. Tejon Street, Colorado Springs. Monument officers can write to either the town court or the county court, so check the court named on your summons.
Does Monument Municipal Court hear DUI cases?
The town's court page lists traffic, parking, animal, municipal code, and petty offenses, and does not list DUI. DUI is generally prosecuted as a state charge in county court.
I was arrested on I-25 near Monument Hill. Who has my case?
If a Colorado State Patrol trooper or a sheriff's deputy arrested you, the case is a state case in El Paso County Court. The 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office prosecutes it.
How long do I have to save my license?
After a breath test or refusal, you generally have 7 days from the day you receive the notice of revocation, usually the day of the arrest, to request a DMV hearing. Miss it and the revocation takes effect automatically.
Can I appear for my DUI by video?
El Paso County Court matters are in person unless the court authorizes otherwise by written order. Bond advisements for people in custody are held by video.
Where is the Monument Police Department?
It is at 645 Beacon Lite Road, Monument, CO 80132, the same address as Town Hall. The department phone is 719-481-3253 on weekdays.
Who do I call about a Monument Municipal Court date?
Call the Court Clerk's office at 719-481-3083, Monday through Thursday. Rescheduling requests must be made at least 10 days before your court date.
Sources
- Town of Monument, Municipal Court
- Town of Monument, Court Date Rescheduling
- Town of Monument, Failure to Pay and Failure to Appear
- Town of Monument, Facility Locations and Hours
- Town of Monument, Public Services
- El Paso County Sheriff's Office, Patrol Section
- Colorado State Patrol, Services We Provide
- Colorado Judicial Branch, 4th Judicial District bond hearing schedule
- Colorado Judicial Branch, El Paso County Judicial Building
- Colorado Judicial Branch, El Paso County notice on in-person County Court appearances
- Office of the District Attorney, 4th Judicial District, Services
- C.R.S. 42-4-1301, Driving under the influence
- C.R.S. 42-4-1301.1, Expressed consent for testing
- C.R.S. 42-2-126, Administrative license revocation
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