Frequently Asked Questions for the District Attorney

If you intend to call the DA’s Office regarding a case that has been filed, please have the following information available:

• Case Number
• Defendant Name
• Court/Division (if known)
• Victim Name

By having this information, we will be able to assist you more efficiently.  The District Attorney’s Office main number is (970) 244-1730. 

A Deputy District Attorney or Victim Specialist may be able to meet with you in person.  However, attorney’s and Victim Specialists spend a good portion of their workday in court and meetings. In order to ensure that the correct person is available when you arrive, please call ahead and schedule an appointment. You may also email the Deputy District Attorney or Victim Specialist assigned to your case (if known) to request  a meeting.

Standard Restraining/Protection Order

• A standard restraining order restrains the defendant from doing something.
• The most common restraining order in a criminal case is an order which restrains the defendant from "harassing, molesting, intimidating, retaliating against, or tampering with any witness or victim of the acts charged in the criminal case."
• The order remains in effect until rescinded by the court or until disposition is reached in the case. Restraining orders of this nature are automatically entered in each criminal case.

"No contact" orders may be entered in addition to this more common restraining order.

Restraining Order (when there is no criminal case)

If no criminal case exists and you would like to obtain a restraining order it is entirely a civil process. You may contact private counsel, the courts, or, if you qualify, the Mesa County Pro Bono Project. 

For assistance in obtaining a Protection Order, please see the 21st Judicial District Self Help Forms. 

Extreme Risk Protection Orders (also known as Red Flag)

For assistance in obtaining an Extreme Risk Protection Order, please see the 21st Judicial District Self Help Forms. 

If you have been charged with a crime and wish to have the representation of the Public Defenders office you will need to complete an application to determine if you qualify. Details of the application process can be found here:

Office of Colorado State Public Defender - Applying for a Public Defender 

You may also contact the Grand Junction Office at:

Public Defenders
114 N. Spruce St., Suite 300
Grand Junction CO 81501

Phone: (970) 245-9122
E-mail: junction@coloradodefenders.us

For felony cases a public defender may be requested at the first court appearance. A private attorney may also be employed.

It is possible for a defendant to represent himself or herself throughout the court process. The District Attorney's office will give anyone representing himself or herself equal consideration for a plea agreement.

*Juvenile delinquency misdemeanors not included - see Juvenile Programs for more information.

Records at the District Attorney's Office are not generally public records. Certain persons who are parties to the criminal action are provided reports as part of the "discovery" process.

Victims can be provided certain types of reports and information upon request. If you are the victim of a "felony" crime and need more information see the section Victim/Witness Programs, or call the District Attorney's Office main number (below) and ask for the Victim Services Unit. If you are the victim of a misdemeanor crime, please contact the main number of the District Attorney's Office at (970) 244-1730 for more information.

If you are a defendant or victim you may also use our online request form.  

Please call 911 in an emergency. They can dispatch the proper law enforcement agency to respond to your call. In non-emergency instances you may contact the law enforcement agency that has jurisdiction over the place where the alleged crime occurred. The reference chart below can assist you in determining who to call.

You have information or witnessed something that has bearing on the case. One of the ways in which to convince a jury or a judge of proof beyond a reasonable doubt is to have live witness testimony in court. Frequently court hearings are continued or witnesses testimony is not needed at the last minute. Check with the District Attorney's Office before leaving your home or workplace to appear for a hearing. Only the Deputy District Attorney who sent you the subpoena will know exactly "why" he/she felt it necessary to have you testify in the case.

If you received your subpoena through the U.S. mail, please review your subpoena, sign it, and return the waiver in the envelope provided through the U.S. mail to the District Attorney's Office. Please keep one copy of the subpoena for your records.

If you received the subpoena from a Sheriff's Deputy or a private process server you do not need to sign anything or return anything. The deputy or the server will notify the court that you have been served.

Once you are served by mail or in person you must appear in court on the date, time and place specified on the subpoena. Failure to do so may result in a warrant for your arrest.

Cases may be re-scheduled or canceled at the last minute for a variety of reasons. To avoid traveling to a hearing which may not take place, please call the Call Off phone number on your subpoena, (970) 255-5092 or check the subpoena call off list to see if your hearing has been called off.

If you have a conflict with the scheduled court date, please call the Deputy District Attorney (listed as "prosecutor" on the right-hand side of the subpoena) immediately.

Criminal and Delinquency proceedings require "live" testimony. Depositions are not allowed in criminal cases except under extraordinarily rare circumstances, such as the pending death of the witness.

If you have a conflict you should contact the Deputy District Attorney immediately to discuss your conflict. In some cases, the Deputy District Attorney handling the case can put you “on call” so that you can go to work or school on the day you are subpoenaed. You will be called at a pre-arranged phone number an hour or so before you are needed in court.

Sometimes court hearings or jury trials are scheduled over several days or weeks. The District Attorney’s Office will attempt to accommodate your schedule to minimize the inconvenience to you.

Depending on how long ago your court date was, you may have a bench warrant for your arrest. Call (970) 257-3640 to check if you have an active Mesa County warrant. To reschedule your court date, you or your attorney must submit a request in writing. For details of what is to be included in that document contact your attorney or the clerk's office at (970) 257-3640.

A voluntary statement must be completed and notarized in the DA's Office.

This statement is then filed with the Court and a copy served on the Defendant. The Deputy District Attorney will review the Affidavit and take any action necessary.

Rarely is a case dismissed even if the victim requests that all charges be dropped. The State is pressing charges against the defendant, not the victim.

To correct an inaccuracy in a police report or add to a police report, please contact the Officer who originally took the report.  If the officer is unknown, you will need to contact the agency that originally took your report and file a supplemental report with them.

• A "no-contact" restraining order is a condition of a defendant's bond which may be ordered by the judge. The "no-contact" order is in effect for the entire length of the criminal case or until the victim requests in a sworn statement filled out at the District Attorney's Office that it be removed or "lifted." It is only removed after approval by the judge handling the case. This order may extend to the victim as well as any children who were involved. It is put in place for the victims' protection.
   
• A "no-contact" restraining order means that a defendant is not to call, write, have a third party contact, or contact the victim or any other party the judge orders the defendant to have "no contact" with. This order expires once the court case is completed.
   
• A "no-contact" restraining order is often ordered by a judge as part of a sentence as well. For further information, call the Victim Services Unit in the District Attorney's office at (970) 244-1730.

Please note: Office hours on the day before a major holiday may be effected by an early closing.  Please call 970-244-1730 if you have any questions on hours. 
 

There are 22 judicial districts that make up the Judicial Branch of Colorado state government.  Here is a map of the judicial districts. 

Each judicial district is served by a locally elected District Attorney.  The County of Mesa comprises the 21st Judicial District. That is why we are often referred to as the Mesa County District Attorney's Office. 

The District Attorney’s Office prosecutes state misdemeanor and felony cases in Mesa County and  provides assistance to witnesses and victims of crime, and maintains an active role in training for police officers and sheriff’s deputies regarding legal issues in criminal justice.

The primary work of the 21st Judicial District DA's Office is the prosecution of criminal offenders and support of the victims of those crimes. 

In Mesa County, the District Attorney’s Office prosecutes most criminal cases. 

All Felony cases contain a “CR” number. For example, 23CR1234.  

All Misdemeanor cases contain a “M” number.  For example, 23M1234. 

All Juvenile cases contain a “JD” number.  For example, 23JD1234.

All Traffic cases contain a “T” number. For example, 23T1234.

To locate your Mesa County case number, please view the Judicial Online Docket.

Please check out our Glossary of Criminal Justice terms.