Bill > HB1134

This bill aims to ensure that defendants in municipal courts receive protections and access similar to those in state courts. Key provisions include making all municipal criminal court proceedings available for real-time remote public viewing and listening at no cost, with limited exceptions for temporary technical issues, and ensuring these exceptions do not apply when a defendant is in custody and facing potential jail time. The bill also mandates that municipal courts must hold hearings within 48 hours for defendants held solely on a municipal hold, and these defendants have the right to court-appointed legal counsel if they are indigent, with specific requirements for notifying and allowing attorneys to prepare for these hearings. Furthermore, the bill clarifies that defendants in custody for other reasons must still have their municipal matters addressed promptly, and they cannot be denied the ability to appear in municipal court. It also strengthens the right to counsel for indigent defendants facing potential incarceration in municipal court, ensuring they are advised of this right and have counsel appointed if they are indigent, with special provisions for defendants who are already in custody. Finally, the bill mandates that municipalities provide independent indigent defense services for defendants facing potential jail time, with specific standards for how these services are overseen and compensated, and clarifies the role of the Office of Alternate Defense Counsel in evaluating these services.

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https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/HB26-1134