Colorado Code § 42-4-1707

Summons and complaint or penalty assessment notice for misdemeanors, petty offenses, and misdemeanor traffic offenses - release - registration
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(1)
(a) Whenever a person commits a violation of this title punishable as a misdemeanor, petty
offense, or misdemeanor traffic offense, other than a violation for which a penalty assessment
notice may be issued in accordance with the provisions of section 42-4-1701 (5)(a), and such
person is not required by the provisions of section 42-4-1705 to be arrested and taken without
unnecessary delay before a county judge, the peace officer may issue and serve upon the
defendant a summons and complaint which must contain the name and address of the defendant,
the license number of the vehicle involved, if any, the number of the defendant's driver's license,
if any, a citation of the statute alleged to have been violated, a brief description of the offense,
the date and approximate location thereof, and the date the summons and complaint is served on
the defendant; direct the defendant to appear in a specified county court at a specified time and
place; and be signed by the peace officer. The summons and complaint submitted to the
department of revenue and the county court before which appearance is required, either by paper
or electronic submission, must contain the name and address of the defendant, the license of the
vehicle involved, if any, and the number of the defendant's driver's license, if any.
(b) A summons and complaint issued and served pursuant to paragraph (a) of this
subsection (1) on a minor under the age of eighteen years shall also contain or be accompanied
by a document containing an advisement to the minor that the minor's parent or legal guardian, if
known, shall be notified by the court from which the summons is issued and be required to
appear with the minor at the minor's court hearing or hearings.
(2) If a peace officer issues and serves a summons and complaint to appear in any court
upon the defendant as described in subsection (1) of this section, any defect in form in such
summons and complaint regarding the name and address of the defendant, the license number of
the vehicle involved, if any, the number of the defendant's driver's license, if any, the date and
approximate location thereof, and the date the summons and complaint is served on the
defendant may be cured by amendment at any time prior to trial or any time before verdict or
findings upon an oral motion by the prosecuting attorney after notice to the defendant and an
opportunity for a hearing. No such amendment shall be permitted if substantial rights of the
defendant are prejudiced. No summons and complaint shall be considered defective so as to be
cause for dismissal solely because of a defect in form in such summons and complaint as
described in this subsection (2).
(3) (a) Whenever a penalty assessment notice for a misdemeanor, petty offense, or
misdemeanor traffic offense is issued pursuant to section 42-4-1701 (5)(a), the penalty
assessment notice that the peace officer serves upon the defendant must contain the name and
address of the defendant, the license number of the vehicle involved, if any, the number of the
defendant's driver's license, if any, a citation of the statute alleged to have been violated, a brief
description of the offense, the date and approximate location of the offense, the amount of the
penalty prescribed for the offense, the amount of the surcharges pursuant to sections 24-4.1-119
(1)(f), 24-4.2-104 (1), and 24-33.5-415.6, the number of points, if any, prescribed for the offense
pursuant to section 42-2-127, and the date the penalty assessment notice is served on the
defendant; must direct the defendant to appear in a specified county court at a specified time and
place in the event the penalty and surcharges are not paid; must be signed by the peace officer;
and must contain other information as may be required by law to constitute the penalty
assessment notice to be a summons and complaint if the prescribed penalty and surcharges are
not paid within the time allowed in section 42-4-1701.
(a.5) A penalty assessment notice issued and served pursuant to paragraph (a) of this
subsection (3) on a minor under the age of eighteen years shall also contain or be accompanied
by a document containing:
(I) A preprinted declaration stating that the minor's parent or legal guardian has reviewed
the contents of the penalty assessment notice with the minor;
(II) Preprinted signature lines following the declaration on which the reviewing person
described in subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (a.5) shall affix his or her signature and for a
notary public to duly acknowledge the reviewing person's signature; and
(III) An advisement to the minor that:
(A) The minor shall, within seventy-two hours after service of the penalty assessment
notice, inform his or her parent or legal guardian that the minor has received a penalty
assessment notice;
(B) The parent or legal guardian of the minor is required by law to review and sign the
penalty assessment notice and to have his or her signature duly acknowledged by a notary
public; and
(C) Noncompliance with the requirement set forth in sub-subparagraph (B) of this
subparagraph (III) shall result in the minor and the parent or legal guardian of the minor being
required to appear in court pursuant to sections 42-4-1710 (1)(b), 42-4-1710 (1.5), and 42-4-
1716 (4).
(b) One copy of said penalty assessment notice shall be served upon the defendant by the
peace officer and one copy sent to the supervisor within the department and such other copies
sent as may be required by rule of the department to govern the internal administration of this
article between the department and the Colorado state patrol.
(4) (a) The time specified in the summons portion of said summons and complaint must
be at least twenty days after the date such summons and complaint is served, unless the
defendant shall demand an earlier court appearance date.
(b) The time specified in the summons portion of said penalty assessment notice shall be
at least thirty days but not more than ninety days after the date such penalty assessment notice is
served, unless the defendant shall demand an earlier court appearance date.
(5) The place specified in the summons portion of said summons and complaint or of the
penalty assessment notice must be a county court within the county in which the offense is
alleged to have been committed.
(6) If the defendant is otherwise eligible to be issued a summons and complaint or a
penalty assessment notice for a violation of this title 42 punishable as a misdemeanor, petty
offense, or misdemeanor traffic offense and if the defendant does not possess a valid Colorado
driver's license, the defendant, in order to secure release, must receive information on the penalty
assessment notice or summons and complaint that directs the defendant to appear at a specified
county court at a specified time and place in the event the penalty and surcharges are not paid,
and other information that may be required by law to constitute the penalty assessment to be a
summons and complaint if the prescribed penalty and surcharges are not paid within the time
allowed in section 42-4-1701. If the defendant does possess a valid Colorado driver's license, the
defendant must not be required to execute a promise to appear on the penalty assessment notice
or on the summons and complaint. The peace officer shall not require any person who is eligible
to be issued a summons and complaint or a penalty assessment notice for a violation of this title
42 to produce or divulge such person's social security number.
(7) Any officer violating any of the provisions of this section is guilty of misconduct in
office and shall be subject to removal from office.

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