Service Areas: Criminal Defense in Southern Colorado
CRIMINAL DEFENSE SERVICE IN SOUTHERN COLORADO
On This Page
- Where Cases Are Handled
- Which Court Hears Your Case
- Town and Court Quick Reference
- Colorado Springs
- El Paso County
- Teller County
- Pueblo County
- Fremont County
- Federal Court
- Service Members Charged in Civilian Court
- Working With a Southern Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Sources
Where Cases Are Handled
Criminal Defense Colorado Springs, P.C. is led by attorney Michael W. Moran, with its office in Colorado Springs.
The firm handles criminal and traffic cases in four counties: El Paso, Teller, Pueblo, and Fremont. That includes the state county and district courts in each county, the municipal courts of the cities and towns inside them, and the federal court for the District of Colorado.
Below is where each courthouse is, who prosecutes there, and links to our town pages.
Which Court Hears Your Case
Where you were stopped or arrested is only part of the answer. The court also depends on which agency wrote the ticket or made the arrest and whether the officer charged a city ordinance or a state law.
Municipal Court
A city or town police officer can charge a violation of the local code. Those cases go to that town's municipal court and are prosecuted by the city or town attorney, not the District Attorney. Our municipal court page explains how these cases work.
County Court and District Court
State charges are filed in the county where the offense happened. County court hears misdemeanors, traffic offenses, and most DUI cases, and district court hears felonies. In both, the case is prosecuted by the District Attorney for that judicial district.
A ticket from the Colorado State Patrol or a sheriff's deputy is a state case, and town police can also file state charges. See our pages on misdemeanors and felonies for how each level is handled.
Federal Court
Federal charges are brought by the United States Attorney's Office in the federal District Court for the District of Colorado. Offenses on military installations and federal land are often handled there.
Town and Court Quick Reference
This table covers only the towns whose courts we confirmed through official court or city sources. If your town is not listed, the courthouse named on your paperwork controls.
| Town or Area | County | Municipal Court? | State Court |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Springs | El Paso | Yes, 224 East Kiowa Street | El Paso County Judicial Building, 270 South Tejon Street, Colorado Springs |
| Fountain | El Paso | Yes, Suite 110, 101 North Main Street | El Paso County Judicial Building, Colorado Springs |
| Manitou Springs | El Paso | Yes, 606 Manitou Avenue | El Paso County Judicial Building, Colorado Springs |
| Palmer Lake | El Paso | Yes, through the Town office | El Paso County Judicial Building, Colorado Springs |
| Monument | El Paso | Yes, 645 Beacon Lite Road | El Paso County Judicial Building, Colorado Springs |
| Calhan | El Paso | Yes, every other month, through the Town Clerk at 556 Colorado Avenue | El Paso County Judicial Building, Colorado Springs |
| Security-Widefield | El Paso | No, unincorporated (Sheriff's patrol districts) | El Paso County Judicial Building, Colorado Springs |
| Woodland Park | Teller | Yes, 220 West South Avenue | Teller County Courthouse, 101 West Bennett Avenue, Cripple Creek |
| Pueblo | Pueblo | Yes, 200 South Main Street | Pueblo Combined Court, 501 North Elizabeth Street, Pueblo |
| Cañon City | Fremont | Yes, 161 Justice Center Road | Fremont Combined Court, 136 Justice Center Road, Cañon City |
Colorado Springs
For an arrest or ticket inside Colorado Springs city limits, the court depends on how the Colorado Springs Police Department charged the case.
City Cases
City ordinance charges are heard at Colorado Springs Municipal Court, 224 East Kiowa Street. They are prosecuted by the Prosecution Division of the City Attorney's Office. Shoplifting, trespass, harassment, and many traffic offenses are commonly filed there.
The Colorado Springs Municipal Court page covers penalties and the short window to request a jury trial.
State Cases
Felonies, most DUI arrests, and charges filed by the State Patrol or Sheriff go to the El Paso County Judicial Building at 270 South Tejon Street. People who are arrested and held are booked into the El Paso County Jail at the Criminal Justice Center, 2739 East Las Vegas Street. Our inmate search page explains how to find someone who is in custody.
El Paso County
El Paso County is part of the 4th Judicial District, which also includes Teller County. The El Paso County Combined Courts (county court and district court) sit in the El Paso County Judicial Building, 270 South Tejon Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80903. The main court phone is 719-452-5000.
State cases in both El Paso and Teller counties are prosecuted by the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office. That means a DUI in Fountain and a theft charge in Woodland Park can be handled by the same prosecutor's office, though in different courthouses.
Unincorporated El Paso County
Much of El Paso County is unincorporated. Those areas have no city government, no town police, and no municipal court.
The El Paso County Sheriff's Office Patrol Division covers the unincorporated county, and its patrol districts include Security and Widefield. A charge from a deputy in those areas is a state case at 270 South Tejon Street.
Town Pages in El Paso County
- El Paso County criminal defense: county and district court cases, the Judicial Building, and how state cases move.
- Fountain: Fountain Municipal Court moved on June 1, 2026 to Suite 110, 101 North Main Street. The court phone is 719-382-5561.
- Security-Widefield: unincorporated, patrolled by the Sheriff, so DUI and criminal cases are state cases.
- Manitou Springs: Manitou Springs Municipal Court is at 606 Manitou Avenue. The court phone is 719-685-2544.
- Palmer Lake: municipal court is regularly held the first Monday of each month, with the clerk reached through the Town office at 719-481-2953.
- Monument: Monument Police can write tickets to either Monument Municipal Court or El Paso County Court. The town court meets the second Wednesday of each month at 645 Beacon Lite Road, and the clerk's number is 719-481-3083.
- Calhan: the town has its own police department, and its municipal court meets every other month for minor traffic violations and summonses issued in town limits. The Town Clerk's number is 719-347-2586.
Teller County
Teller County is also in the 4th Judicial District, and its state cases are prosecuted by the same 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office that handles El Paso County.
Teller County Combined Court
The county court and district court for Teller County sit in the Teller County Courthouse in Cripple Creek, not in Woodland Park. Clerk details from the Colorado Judicial Branch:
- Address: 101 West Bennett Avenue, Cripple Creek, CO 80813 (mailing address P.O. Box 997)
- Phone: 719-689-7360
- Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
For someone who lives in Woodland Park, a state case means traveling to Cripple Creek for each court date. Plan for that travel time.
Woodland Park
Woodland Park has its own police department and its own municipal court. The City of Woodland Park Municipal Court is at 220 West South Avenue, Woodland Park, CO 80866, and the court phone is 719-687-5207.
The city says court meets every second and fourth Wednesday of the month unless otherwise stated, and juvenile court meets on the fourth Wednesday. A city ordinance charge from Woodland Park Police goes there, while a state charge goes to Cripple Creek.
For the charge you are facing, see our practice areas page.
Pueblo County
Pueblo County is its own judicial district, the 10th. State cases there are prosecuted by the 10th Judicial District Attorney's Office, a different office from the one that prosecutes cases in Colorado Springs.
Pueblo Combined Court
- Address: 501 North Elizabeth Street, Pueblo, CO 81003
- Phone: 719-404-8700
- Customer service window and records: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Pueblo Municipal Court
City of Pueblo ordinance cases are heard at Pueblo Municipal Court, 200 South Main Street, Pueblo, CO 81003. The court phone is 719-562-3810.
A DUI on Interstate 25 through Pueblo charged by the State Patrol would be a state case at the Combined Court on North Elizabeth Street. For more, see our Pueblo criminal defense page.
Fremont County
Fremont County is in the 11th Judicial District, which also includes Chaffee, Custer, and Park counties. State cases are prosecuted by the 11th Judicial District Attorney's Office, which has a Fremont County office in Cañon City.
Fremont Combined Court
- Address: 136 Justice Center Road, Cañon City, CO 81212
- Phone: 719-269-0100
- Hours: Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with the clerk's office closed daily from 12:00 to 12:30 p.m.
Cañon City Municipal Court
Cañon City Municipal Court is at 161 Justice Center Road, on the same road as the state courthouse but at a different address. The court phone is 719-276-5601.
The city lists the court as closed on Fridays for administrative duties. Check the building number on your summons so you go to the right courthouse.
For DUI and traffic cases from the area, see our Cañon City DUI page.
Federal Court
Federal criminal cases from southern Colorado are heard in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado. The court has a courthouse in Colorado Springs at 212 North Wahsatch Avenue.
Depending on the judge assigned, some or all hearings in a federal case from this area may be held in Denver. Federal cases are prosecuted by the United States Attorney's Office, and they follow different rules and a different sentencing system from state court.
Our federal crimes page explains how a federal case moves, from investigation through sentencing.
Service Members Charged in Civilian Court
The Pikes Peak region is home to Fort Carson, Peterson Space Force Base, Schriever Space Force Base, and the United States Air Force Academy. When service members or their families are charged off base by civilian police, the case goes to the same civilian courts described on this page.
- Off base: a DUI, assault, or theft charge filed by city police, the Sheriff, or the State Patrol goes to the municipal, county, or district court for that location, like any other case.
- On base: many offenses on an installation are charged federally and handled in federal court. See the federal crimes page.
- Separate military consequences: a civilian case does not stop the chain of command from taking its own action. Those issues are worth discussing early.
We represent service members in the civilian case only. Questions about military administrative action or the Uniform Code of Military Justice may also call for a military defense counsel.
Working With a Southern Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer
Michael W. Moran has been licensed to practice law in Colorado since 1995.
He is also a former municipal court judge, which is useful in a region where many cases begin in a city or town court.
The office is in Colorado Springs. There is no branch office in Pueblo, Cañon City, Woodland Park, or any other town, and Mike Moran travels to the courthouse where your case is filed. When a case needs it, other attorneys he works with assist.
Criminal Defense Colorado Springs, P.C. offers free, confidential consultations.
In the first conversation, we will go over the charge, the court, your next date, and any deadlines that run outside the criminal case. After a DUI arrest, for example, you have only 7 days to request a DMV hearing, as explained on our DUI page.
No lawyer can promise a particular result. What a lawyer can do is test the evidence, make sure the law is applied correctly, and explain your realistic options in the court where your case is filed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the courthouse for a Woodland Park case?
It depends on the charge. A city ordinance charge goes to Woodland Park Municipal Court at 220 West South Avenue, while a state charge goes to the Teller County Courthouse at 101 West Bennett Avenue in Cripple Creek.
My ticket is from a sheriff's deputy in Security-Widefield. Which court is that?
Security-Widefield is unincorporated, so there is no municipal court. A Sheriff's charge there is a state case at the El Paso County Judicial Building, 270 South Tejon Street, Colorado Springs.
Is a Pueblo case prosecuted by the same office as a Colorado Springs case?
No. Pueblo County is the 10th Judicial District with its own District Attorney. El Paso and Teller counties share the 4th Judicial District Attorney's Office.
Are there two courthouses on Justice Center Road in Cañon City?
Yes. The Fremont Combined Court (state court) is at 136 Justice Center Road, and Cañon City Municipal Court is at 161 Justice Center Road. Your summons says which one to go to.
Are federal cases from Colorado Springs heard in Colorado Springs?
Some are. The federal court has a courthouse at 212 North Wahsatch Avenue, but depending on the judge assigned, hearings may be held in Denver.
What happens if I miss my court date?
The court can issue a warrant for your arrest, in municipal and state court alike. Our warrants page explains how to check for a warrant and how one is usually cleared.
Sources
- Colorado Judicial Branch, El Paso County Judicial Building
- Colorado Judicial Branch, Teller County Courthouse
- Colorado Judicial Branch, Teller County Judges and Staff (4th Judicial District)
- Colorado Judicial Branch, Pueblo Combined Court
- Colorado Judicial Branch, Fremont Combined Court
- Colorado Judicial Branch, Fremont County Judges and Staff (11th Judicial District)
- Colorado Judicial Branch, Court Executives by Judicial District
- Colorado Secretary of State, List of Colorado District Attorneys
- City of Colorado Springs, Municipal Court
- City of Fountain, Municipal Court
- City of Manitou Springs, Municipal Court
- Town of Palmer Lake, Municipal Court
- Town of Monument, Municipal Court
- Town of Calhan, Court
- Town of Calhan, Police Department
- El Paso County Sheriff's Office, Patrol Section
- City of Woodland Park, Municipal Court
- City of Woodland Park, Police Department
- City of Pueblo, Municipal Court
- City of Cañon City, Municipal Court
- U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, Court Locations
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