Municipal Court

Code Violations & Appearing in Court

Common code violations handled in Berthoud Municipal Court include.

• Traffic Citations
• Parking Citations
• Code Violations
• Misdemeanor Offenses
• Animal Related Charges

If you were issued a Summons and Complaint or Penalty assessment (citation) for an alleged violation of the Municipal Code, there is a date noted on the left-hand corner of your ticket; that is your "arraignment" date. During the arraignment, you may enter a Guilty or No Contest Plea or a Not Guilty Plea, or speak with the Town Prosecutor about a possible plea agreement, or request a pretrial conference or a reasonable continuance of the case.  

If you fail to appear at your scheduled arraignment for non-traffic violations, a bench warrant will be issued for your arrest, and an appropriate PR Bond will be attached to the warrant. If the offense is traffic-related, a Default Judgement will be placed on your driver's license through the Department of Motor Vehicles. The Default Judgement will remain active on your Colorado Driver's license until the case has been resolved. 

Example of a Citation 

Be sure to review your citation for the correct court location and time. The ticket will be marked as to what court you are to appear in, and below that information is your arraignment date along with the time to appear.

 On your court date, you can check in as early as 8:30 a.m. and no later than 9:00 a.m. 

To pay your citation, go to Xpress Bill pay, enter your citation number and last name as it is spelled on your citation, or call 970-344-5801.

Municipal Court Judges

• Judge Stewart Olive
• Deputy Judge Sunita Sharma

Contact the Court

Deputy Town Clerk Michelle Tovar keeps the records of the Berthoud Municipal Court. She is also the contact for Berthoud Municipal Court.

You can reach Michelle by calling 970-344-5801, by emailing the Court, or by mail at:
P.O. Box 1229
Berthoud, CO 80513

Please be aware of, and adhere to the following rules when attending Berthoud Municipal Court:

• Dress in modest casual or professional attire (sleeves are required)
• Clothing that contains offensive language and/or offensive pictures is not permitted
• Shoes are required at all times
• Hats and/or sunglasses are not to be worn
• Do not bring or eat food
• Chewing gum is not permitted
• Cell phones, pagers, and/or other electronic devices must be turned off.
• Be prepared for any item brought into the court to be screened and/or confiscated.
• If you are a minor, you must be accompanied by a parent.

(1) (a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection (1), any person convicted of violating a municipal ordinance in a municipal court of record may be incarcerated for a period not to exceed 364 days or fined an amount not to exceed two thousand six hundred fifty dollars or both.

Colorado Revised Statues (CRS) 13-10-113

Fines

Fines range from $15 to $2650, depending on the offense. If it is a traffic offense in a school zone, it doubles. In addition to the fines, there is a $15 surcharge and a $35 court fee. If you have a traffic violation,  there are points associated with the violation that range from 0 to 12, depending on the severity of the reported traffic violation.

View the most recent Annual Fee Schedule (PDF) for more detailed information.

Berthoud Municipal Court is in partnership with Loveland Teen Court.

The purpose of Teen Court is to hold the juvenile accountable for their actions, to repair the harm caused by the offense, and to help the juvenile become a positive participant in their community.

Teen Court is a community-based juvenile intervention/prevention program that offers an alternative to the juvenile justice system. You can find more information about Loveland Teen Court by searching Loveland Teen Court Online.

How the Teen Court Process Works

A first-time juvenile offender in Berthoud Municipal Court (typically a juvenile with a marijuana/alcohol, petty theft, or disorderly conduct charge) may be given the option to participate in the Teen Court program as part of a deferred judgment and sentence agreement with the Municipal Prosecutor Attorney.

The juvenile will participate in the program as the defendant in a sentencing hearing held in the Loveland Municipal Court courtroom. Student participants will conduct the hearing by taking on the roles of prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, bailiffs, and members of the Teen Court jury.

The Teen Court jury will determine the sentence of the juvenile defendant using the parameters set out by the Teen Court program. The sentence could require useful public service hours, participation in the Teen Court program, classes, and/or letters of apology.

How to Participate

For Juvenile Defendants and their parents:

• Speak to the Municipal Prosecutor to discuss whether Teen Court is a possibility and a good fit for your case.
• Appear at the scheduled Teen Court sentencing hearing.
• Successfully complete the sentence of the Teen Court.