Weld County Criminal Court Records
A Weld County criminal court record begins when a criminal case is opened in court. The case file is different from the sheriff's arrest report. The court record tracks the formal charges, hearings, motions, orders, plea, disposition, and sentence. Felony cases are handled in District Court. Misdemeanor cases may be in County Court or a municipal court, depending on the source of the charge.
Weld County is the 19th Judicial District, and that district matches the county boundary. This makes state criminal court routing more direct than in multi-county districts. State felony, major criminal, and related matters route through the Weld County Combined Courts in Greeley. County-level misdemeanors and traffic-related criminal matters may be in County Court, while city ordinance charges may sit in Greeley, Frederick, Fort Lupton, Lochbuie, or another municipal court.
The Weld County judges and staff page lists Brenda Palm as Clerk of Court. Sheriff Steve Reams, listed by the Weld County Sheriff's Office, is tied to jail, arrest, warrant, and law-enforcement records. Those sheriff records can connect to a criminal case, but they are not the court's criminal case file.
The Weld District Attorney biography page identifies District Attorney Michael J. Rourke as the elected prosecutor for the 19th Judicial District.
The prosecutor's role matters because the District Attorney decides what charges are filed in many Weld County criminal court records.
Search Weld County Criminal Records
Start a Weld County criminal court records search with the Colorado Judicial Branch Docket Search. Use Weld County, the 19th Judicial District, or Weld County Courthouse as the location filter. Choose District Court for felony criminal cases and County Court for many misdemeanor matters. Use case class CR for felony criminal records and M for misdemeanor records when those filters fit the case.
- Open the Colorado Judicial Branch docket search.
- Choose Weld County, 19th Judicial District, or Weld County Courthouse.
- Search by case number, defendant name, business name if relevant, attorney name, or attorney bar number.
- Review the docket for hearings, charges, plea, disposition, or sentence indicators.
- Use the record and document request form for certified copies or actual criminal case documents.
The Weld District Attorney office overview describes the prosecutor's office and contact divisions.
That office is part of the criminal case path, but court copies and certified dispositions still come from the court clerk.
Weld County Criminal Case Flow
A criminal case file changes as the case moves through court. The record can show the charge filed, the first appearance or arraignment, later pretrial settings, motions, a plea or trial result, the disposition, and any sentence. A docket may show the event list, while the full case file may include the complaint or information, written orders, sentence order, and protection order where public.
Case flow: Charges Filed › Arraignment › Pretrial and Motions › Plea or Trial › Disposition › Sentencing
| Stage | What Happens |
|---|---|
| Charges Filed | The prosecutor files a complaint or information, or the case begins through another charging route. |
| Arraignment | The defendant is advised of the charge and enters or prepares to enter a plea. |
| Pretrial and Motions | The parties file requests, set hearings, discuss evidence, and prepare for plea or trial. |
| Plea or Trial | The case resolves by plea, verdict, dismissal, or other court action. |
| Disposition and Sentence | The court records the outcome and any jail, probation, fine, treatment, or other sentence terms. |
What Weld Criminal Records Show
Weld County criminal court records can show the same core fields identified in Colorado court and CoCourts materials: status, court, case number, case type, file date, close date, judge or magistrate, agency, parties, charges, disposition, plea, sentence date, and scheduled events. A register of action is a case summary. It can help trace what happened, but it is not the certified case file.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | The court identifier tied to the criminal case. |
| Defendant | The person charged in the criminal case. |
| Charges | The alleged offenses filed in court, including amended or dismissed charges where shown. |
| Plea | The defendant's formal response, such as guilty, not guilty, or another plea entry. |
| Disposition | The outcome of a charge or case, such as conviction, dismissal, acquittal, or deferred result. |
| Sentence | The punishment or conditions imposed after conviction or plea. |
| Scheduled Events | Hearings, settings, and other court dates tied to the case. |
Charges vs Convictions
A charge is an accusation filed in court. A conviction is an outcome after a guilty plea, verdict, or other conviction event. Weld County criminal court records may show charges that were reduced, amended, dismissed, or resolved without conviction. The arrest side is separate from the court case side, and charge-level detail belongs with the formal court file. For a closer focus on the arrest-to-charge path, see Weld County arrest records and charges.
| Charge | Conviction | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | An alleged offense filed in court. | A final finding or plea that results in guilt. |
| Timing | Early or amended during the case. | After plea, verdict, or qualifying judgment. |
| Record effect | May remain listed even if later dismissed. | May trigger sentence, probation, fines, or driver consequences. |
Weld Criminal Dispositions
Disposition is the outcome of the case or charge. In Weld County criminal court records, the disposition may be tied to each count rather than only the case as a whole. A record can show guilty, not guilty, dismissed, deferred, amended, or other outcome language. Sentence details may show jail, probation, fines, treatment terms, bond conditions, protection orders, or other court-ordered duties.
Do not read a charge list as a conviction list. A person can be charged with several counts and convicted of fewer counts, different counts, or no counts. When proof of the outcome is required, request the disposition or sentence order from the Clerk of Court rather than relying only on a docket or vendor summary.
The Colorado State Public Defender Greeley office is the regional public defender office serving Weld County.
Defense counsel information may appear in a docket or case summary when the attorney is listed as counsel of record.
Sealed vs Expunged Records
Colorado separates adult criminal record sealing from juvenile expungement and other specialized relief. Sealing usually limits public access after the court grants relief. Expungement is commonly tied to juvenile matters and can remove or sharply limit public access under Colorado law. The process usually starts in the court where the case was filed or where the conviction entered, and the District Attorney or municipal attorney may need notice.
| Sealed | Expunged | |
|---|---|---|
| Public visibility | Blocked from ordinary public access after order. | Removed or restricted more fully, often for juvenile matters. |
| Where to start | Usually the court where the case was filed or conviction entered. | Usually the court process named by juvenile or specific relief rules. |
| Weld route | Weld Combined Courts for state cases. | Weld Combined Courts for eligible state juvenile matters. |
The Colorado State Public Defender statewide overview explains the statewide defender office structure.
Sealing and expungement are legal processes, so eligibility should be checked through court forms, counsel, or the court clerk.
Public Criminal Records Access
Weld County criminal court records are public only when no statute, court rule, Supreme Court rule, Chief Justice Directive, local order, or sealing rule restricts access. Colorado's Criminal Justice Records Act governs inspection of criminal justice records and lets custodians deny inspection in specified circumstances. Court case records also follow the Judicial Branch access rules under CJD 05-01 and P.A.I.R.R.
CoCourts and other state court data routes can show register-of-action data, but the Access Guide warns that vendor data is not the official record of the court, may contain errors or omissions, and does not include every case or case type. Juvenile, sealed, suppressed, confidential, and protected fields may be absent from public systems. For certified Weld County criminal court records, use the court request form or contact the Clerk of Court.
Key access rule: Public criminal case data can be limited by court order, statute, Supreme Court rule, or protected-record status.
Custody Is Separate
Jail and prison records are not the same as Weld County criminal court records. The Weld Sheriff Daily Arrest Report is an arrest and booking resource. It does not prove conviction, and its own disclaimer states that arrest does not mean guilt. The court case record is where the formal charges, plea, disposition, and sentence are tracked after the case opens.
If a person is sentenced to state prison or parole supervision, the Colorado Department of Corrections offender search is a separate state custody channel.
DOC results can help locate sentenced people, but court disposition and sentence documents still come from the court record.
Federal Criminal Records
Federal criminal cases are outside Weld County District Court and County Court. Weld County is within the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. Federal charges, federal agency cases, and federal appeals are searched through federal systems such as PACER and CM/ECF, not through the Weld County docket search. State court records and federal court records should be kept separate.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Colorado is the federal prosecution office for Colorado.
Federal prosecution material can explain federal case routing, but state Weld County criminal court records stay with Colorado trial courts.
Restricted Weld Criminal Records
Restricted criminal court records include juvenile matters, sealed or suppressed cases, expunged records, adoption-related matters, mental health proceedings, and public-facing data with protected identifiers. Social Security numbers, street addresses, victims, police officers, jurors, financial details, minors' names, and protected contact information may be redacted or excluded.
The Judicial Branch record request form warns that suppressed cases, juvenile and probate records, and confidential or protected documents may require a U.S. government-issued photo ID. If a search does not return a Weld County criminal court record, the result does not prove that no record exists. The case may be municipal, sealed, juvenile, suppressed, restricted, federal, or held by a different custodian.