Municipal Court Fairness and Transparency

Write to legislators! 📩 

Email your legislators to let them know why you support this bill and encourage them to vote YES on HB25-1147. Direct outreach matters! 

Find Your Legislators’ Email Addresses (Tab for Each County) →

SUBJECT LINE: Use a line that includes the bill number, like:

• Vote YES on HB25-1147

• Support HB25-1147

MESSAGE: Pick the issues you care most about!

• Municipal sentencing disparities mean arbitrary and unequal justice.

• Municipal courts primarily criminalize homelessness and poverty, often targeting our most vulnerable neighbors with Substance Use Disorder and/or mental health conditions.

• Cities should not be allowed to use county jails as homeless shelters. 

• Jails are the least effective, most expensive, and an overall inhumane way to address homelessness.

• Colorado values access to equal justice, which means people facing jail deserve an attorney, but too often don’t get one if charged in municipal court.

• It is unfair and illogical that when officers write tickets, they decide whether to charge in municipal court when they– with possible sentences 30x longer than in state court.

• Coloradans should be able to access all courts across the state, yet some municipal courts don’t let people watch hearings.