Park County District Court Overview
Park County is in Colorado's 11th Judicial District with Chaffee, Custer, and Fremont counties. The Park County Combined Court at 300 4th St., P.O. Box 190, Fairplay, CO 80440 houses both District Court and County Court functions. The general court phone is 719-836-2940, fax is 719-838-4569, and case questions may be sent to parkcountyclerk@judicial.state.co.us.
The Colorado Judicial Branch describes District Courts as general-jurisdiction trial courts. For Park County, that means felony criminal cases, civil cases in any amount, domestic relations, juvenile, probate, mental health, and appeals from County Court. District Court Rule 120 return dates are listed for Monday at 10:00 a.m. County Court civil return dates are listed separately for Thursday at 10:00 a.m. The Combined Court office hours changed effective July 1, 2026 to Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., open during lunch.
The official Colorado Judicial Branch Park County page is the main local court page for docket, records, judge, staff, self-help, payment, transcript, and virtual courtroom links.
Park County Court Structure
Colorado's court hierarchy runs from the Colorado Supreme Court to the Colorado Court of Appeals, District Courts, County Courts, Water Courts as specialized district-court divisions, and municipal courts for local ordinance matters. District Court decisions usually go to the Colorado Court of Appeals, while some matters may reach the Colorado Supreme Court. County Court decisions can be appealed to District Court.
| Court or office | Jurisdiction or role | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Park County District Court | Felony, civil any amount, domestic, juvenile, probate, mental health, appeals, Rule 120. | 300 4th St., Fairplay, CO 80440 | 719-836-2940 |
| Park County County Court | Misdemeanor, traffic infractions, felony complaints, small claims, civil under $25,000, protection orders. | 300 4th St., Fairplay, CO 80440 | 719-836-2940 |
| Park County Clerk of Court | Court records, copies, dockets, transcripts, clerk services. | 300 4th St., Fairplay, CO 80440 | 719-836-2940 |
| Fairplay Municipal Court | Town ordinance, municipal criminal offenses, traffic, animal, parking, photo radar. | 901 Main Street, Fairplay, CO 80440 | 719-836-2622 |
| Water Court | Water rights and administration, division depends on basin. | Colorado Judicial Branch Water Court system | See state page |
| Colorado Court of Appeals | Appeals from district courts and some agency decisions. | Denver | State appellate court |
District Court vs County Court
District Court and County Court share the Park County Combined Court building, but they do not have the same jurisdiction. Municipal court is separate and handles Town of Fairplay matters. The citation, summons, complaint, or case number usually tells which court has the file.
| Issue | District Court | County Court | Municipal Court |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil cases | Any amount. | Under $25,000 and small claims. | Municipal code matters. |
| Criminal matters | Felonies and related major proceedings. | Misdemeanors, traffic infractions, and felony complaints before transfer. | Town ordinance criminal and traffic cases. |
| Family and probate | Domestic relations and probate. | Not the primary venue. | Not handled. |
| Appeals | Receives County Court appeals and sends appeals to Colorado Court of Appeals. | Appeals go to District Court. | Local procedures depend on municipal law. |
Fairplay Municipal Court is a high-value local caveat. Some Fairplay police citations are filed in municipal court and some in Park County Combined Court, so the citation must be checked before searching or paying.
Park County Case Flow
A criminal case may begin with an arrest, summons, complaint, ticket, or felony complaint in County Court, then move into District Court when felony charges proceed. A civil case may start in District Court if the amount or subject matter belongs there. Domestic relations and probate matters are District Court files from the start. Appeals from County Court decisions can also land in District Court.
Criminal flow: Arrest or summons › advisement or first appearance › complaint or information › arraignment › pretrial hearings › plea or trial › disposition › sentencing › appeal.
Civil and probate flow: Petition or complaint filed › service or notice › response › hearing or case management › order or judgment › post-judgment action or appeal.
Use dockets for scheduled hearings and the record/document request form for pleadings, orders, decrees, letters, tickets, and certified copies. The docket is a calendar and event tool, not a free download system for every case document.
Park County Judges and Staff
The Colorado Judicial Branch judges and staff page names key 11th Judicial District and Park County contacts. Amanda Hunter is District Court Chief Judge for the 11th Judicial District, serving Custer, Chaffee, Park, and Fremont counties. Brian Green is the Park County Court Judge and is also listed by Fairplay Municipal Court as Municipal Court Judge. Julie Akers is Clerk of Court and Probate Registrar.
| Name | Role | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Amanda Hunter | District Court Chief Judge, 11th Judicial District | 719-836-2940 |
| Brian Green | County Court Judge, Park County | 719-836-2940 |
| Lisa Rowe | Court Executive, 11th Judicial District | lisa.rowe@judicial.state.co.us, 719-204-2224 |
| Julie Akers | Clerk of Court and Probate Registrar | julie.akers@judicial.state.co.us, 719-836-2940 x30205 |
| Debbie O'Rourke | Jury Commissioner for Fremont, Chaffee, Park, and Custer | 11thjury@judicial.state.co.us, 719-204-2220 |
| Lori Hale | Family Court Facilitator and Self-Represented Litigant Coordinator | lori.hale@judicial.state.co.us, 719-539-2561 ext. 30434 |
| Danica Turner | Self-Represented Litigant Coordinator for Park County | danica.turner@judicial.state.co.us, 719-836-2940 x30233 |
The judges and staff source is especially useful for routing jury, self-help, probate registrar, and clerk questions without treating every question as a judge contact.
Search District Court Records
District Court dockets are searched through the Colorado Judicial Branch docket search. Select Park County, Park Combined Court, or the 11th Judicial District, then add the required date and another available filter. For case documents, use the Colorado Judicial record/document request form. The form can request civil, criminal, family, probate, ticket, ROA, certified, and exemplified documents.
District Court records may include complaints, petitions, motions, orders, judgments, divorce decrees, probate letters, wills, disposition or sentence orders, protection orders, and minute-order history. Public access is governed by CJD 05-01 and P.A.I.R.R. Juvenile, sealed, adoption, mental health, protected-person, victim, financial, and minor information may be restricted or redacted.
For a broader search workflow, use Park County court records. For certified copies and clerk routing, use the Clerk of Court.
Park County Water Court Issues
Colorado Water Courts have exclusive jurisdiction over water rights, use, administration, and related water matters. Park County's rural land, water-right, mining, and mountain-property context can make this distinction important. An estate may be in Park County District Court probate, while a water-right determination belongs to Water Court. The relevant water division depends on basin.
The manifest assigns the Colorado Water Courts page to this District Court page.
Water Court is part of the Colorado Judicial Branch system, but it should not be confused with ordinary District Court civil, probate, or family case files.
Federal District Court Records
Park County residents may also have federal cases, but those are not searched through Park County District Court. Colorado is one federal judicial district, so federal trial court cases are in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. Federal bankruptcy cases are in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Colorado, and federal appeals go to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.
The PACER District of Colorado lookup is assigned to the District Court page.
PACER is useful for federal records, but it does not search Park County state court dockets or Combined Court case files.
The District of Colorado CM/ECF information page explains the federal electronic filing system.
That federal filing system is separate from Colorado Judicial Branch state-court records for Park County.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit is the federal appellate court for District of Colorado cases.
The federal appellate route is separate from the Colorado Court of Appeals route for state District Court judgments.
The District of Colorado CM/ECF system is the federal electronic filing login source.
Use CM/ECF only for federal District of Colorado filings, not state Park County District Court filings.
Visiting Park County District Court
The active courthouse is the Park County Combined Court at 300 4th St. in Fairplay. The historic Park County Courthouse and Jail at 418 Main Street is a separate landmark and historic county-services site. Park County's rural geography, winter weather, fire restrictions, and long travel distances make phone or email confirmation useful before an in-person records trip.
Official county sources do not publish a named courthouse garage or parking rate for the Combined Court. Visitors should allow extra time on docket days and confirm accessibility, interpreter, and courthouse security questions through Colorado Judicial Branch resources or the local clerk contact. Court security rules can change, so call before bringing recording equipment or items that may be restricted.
Note: Fairplay Municipal Court citations may not appear in Park County District Court searches, so check the citation before calling the wrong court.