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 with improving coordination with police and court clerk operations.

The court is evaluating integration between the police department’s electronic ticketing system and the court’s case-management software (Full Court), Bowen said. He reported intermittent problems where dates set by officers did not transfer cleanly into the court calendar, producing unusually full dockets; staff are pursuing a technical “bridge” to reduce manual rework.

Bowen also said Full Court was sold to a larger company and the court expects customer-service benefits and possible feature changes. Bowen described work to “realign and reduce the frequency of court appearances,” including more interactive nonappearance options for people seeking short extensions or payment arrangements, to streamline case handling for defendants and staff.

On court technology, Bowen said the courtroom’s hardwired audio system recently failed and the vendor-repair timeline is uncertain; the court has used Zoom and handheld recording devices as interim measures while the vendor evaluates the transmitter. Bowen and council members noted that hearing-assistance devices tied to the courtroom sound system may be affected while the hardware is out of warranty.

On specialty dockets, Bowen said the court is exploring a focused time slot for persons who repeatedly return to municipal court—often those experiencing homelessness or behavioral-health challenges—so police, park rangers and outreach services can coordinate return dates and wraparound resources. Bowen said the city’s caseload is not large enough to justify a separate full-time specialty court, but a dedicated docket time within existing calendars could offer targeted services: “We might not change a lot of lives, but we may change a life.”

Warrants handling was another operational change Bowen described: O’Hare and court staff have taken on more of the warrants workload in coordination with the police department, creating some redundancy and training depth for that process.

Council members asked for more data and clarity about enforcement impacts. Council member Kondo asked whether increased parking citations reflected an enforcement emphasis; Bowen suggested the police periodically emphasize different enforcement areas as staffing and resources allow and recommended asking the police chief for a fuller explanation. Council member Goff pressed on juvenile-specific programs; Bowen said juvenile matters receive different handling, including education and community-service referrals, and that the court already operates a juvenile municipal court services program. The mayor and council also discussed the possibility of a locally run teen court under an existing Colorado statute; Bowen noted that such programs typically require participant consent and are often implemented by contract.

Nut graf: The municipal court’s changes—calendar consolidation, technology fixes, higher sanctions for some traffic offenses and consideration of a specialty docket—are intended to improve predictability, ease case processing and better coordinate court follow-up with police and social services. The council signaled interest in more data and clarity about enforcement trends and program timelines.

Background: Bowen said he and recently added Judge Cindy Dang attended judicial training focused in part on emerging issues such as artificial intelligence; Dang introduced herself to council and described prior judicial experience in Adams County and other jurisdictions. Bowen also noted Full Court’s ownership change and the court’s efforts to reduce required in-person appearances where feasible.

Ending: Council members thanked Bowen, O’Hare and Judge Dang and asked for follow-up information about parking citation trends, the timeline for audio repairs, and the specifics of increased sanctions. Bowen said the specialty-docket pilot could be up and running by first quarter of next year and staff would return with additional details as plans firmed up.