Arapahoe County officials warn Aurora transfer of domestic-violence cases would more than double county caseload

Arapahoe County officials told county commissioners at a study session that Aurora’s move to transfer municipal domestic-violence (DV) cases to state courts will sharply increase workloads across the local criminal-justice system and require additional staff and courtroom resources.

The county’s management analyst, Sarah Overby, said the district now handles about 859 misdemeanor domestic-violence cases per year and that Aurora’s filings would “layer on top” of the county’s caseload. “If you look at table 1 in the white paper…they have between 1,100 and 1,200 domestic-violence cases each year. The majority of those are going to Arapahoe County,” Overby said.

Why it matters: Aurora City Council adopted a resolution in September directing that the city’s municipal court stop prosecuting domestic-violence cases; advocacy and intergovernmental pressure moved the transition date to July 1, 2025. County elected officials and criminal-justice partners have convened to estimate the operational impact and to identify funding needs and next steps for the 18th Judicial District.

What county officials reported

Prosecutors: Mike Morrow, senior chief deputy district attorney, said the DA’s office had already taken steps to reduce felony caseload pressure but that the incoming predominantly misdemeanor DV cases would not be addressed by a previously funded felony prosecutor position. “The position…was to…