Government
Judicial Branch
The Judicial Branch interprets and administers the law. Courts make up the Judicial Branch. Courts conduct and review trials in both civil and criminal cases.There are four primary courts in Colorado: County Courts, District Courts, the Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court.
Courts in Colorado
County Courts hear cases involving limited dollars in civil cases and criminal misdemeanor cases. The District Court is the trial court of unlimited jurisdiction. It handles felony criminal cases, large civil cases, probate and domestic matters, cases for and against the government itself, and other matters of importance. The Court of Appeals hears cases when either a plaintiff or a defendant believes a trial court made errors in the conduct of the trial. The Court of Appeals decides if errors were made and tells lower courts how to correct errors. The Supreme Court also hears appeals, but only when it considers the cases to have great significance. The Supreme Court may also answer legal questions from the legislature regarding proposed laws.
