Northglenn municipal court moves to steadier schedule, plans specialty docket and raises some traffic sanctions

Judge Brian Bowen delivered the municipal court’s semiannual update to Northglenn City Council on Oct. 20, outlining changes to the court calendar, staffing and case-management practices and describing plans for a specialty docket to address people with repeated court involvement tied to housing or behavioral-health issues.

Bowen said the court is consolidating its calendar to set hearings on more predictable days—moving away from a five-day monthly spread to a regular Monday–Tuesday pattern over the next year—to give the public and staff clearer expectations about when cases will be heard.

“The first rule of the road is don't hit things, and that includes other cars, other buildings,” Bowen said when explaining recent adjustments to traffic-related sanctions. He said the court has raised the sanction amount for many minor accident citations and is increasing penalties for speeding more than 30 miles per hour over the limit. Bowen described the sanction changes as already implemented: “Implemented. It is implemented already.”

Bowen and newly introduced staff described internal changes intended to reduce unnecessary return appearances and to improve remote and electronic handling of some case interactions. Darnell O’Hare, the court supervisor, joined Bowen at the dais; she began in May and Bowen credited her…