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Courthouse located at 1100 Judicial Center Drive in Brighton, Colorado. This Court is being expanded to include new courtrooms to accommodate Adams County's substantial growth.
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History
of the Seventeenth Judicial District Early Years of the Seventeenth Judicial District When Colorado was granted statehood in 1876, the geographic area which is now Adams County was part of Arapahoe County. Arapahoe County was a large county that covered a significant portion of eastern Colorado and included not only the territory that is currently Adams County, but also included the City of Denver. At the turn of the twentieth century, there were thirteen judicial districts in the State of Colorado. Only Arapahoe, Pueblo and El Paso Counties had two judges. All other districts had one judge allocated to them by Colorado law. In 1902, Adams County was formed by combined legislative action and a vote of the people of the State of Colorado. On November 8, 1904, the citizens of the newly formed county selected Brighton, Colorado as the permanent county seat for Adams County.The first Adams County courthouse was located at 34 South Fifth Avenue in Brighton in the home of Daniel F. Carmichael, a Denver real estate developer. When a fire destroyed the structure in January, 1904, the courthouse was relocated to a rented house at Third Avenue and Bridge Street in Brighton. All county business was conducted out of this building until May, 1906, when a new courthouse was completed at 22 South Fourth Avenue in Brighton. This building is still used as part of the Brighton Municipal government complex. Though Adams County had its own county seat and county courthouse, it remained part of the First Judicial District with Arapahoe, Jefferson, Gilpin and Clear Creek Counties for another fifty-one years. Creation and Expansion of the Seventeenth Judicial District In 1959, the Colorado Legislature enacted legislation which created a separate judicial district for Adams County. This judicial district, the Seventeenth Judicial District, had two district court judges and one county court judge. Approximately three years after the Seventeenth Judicial District was created, the Adams County Hall of Justice, located at 1931 East Bridge Street in Brighton, Colorado was opened in 1963. This facility continued to be used as the courts building for the next thirty-five years. In April, 1998, the Adams County Justice Center was opened at 1100 Judicial Center Drive in Brighton, Colorado.At the time of its construction, the Adams County Hall of Justice served a county with a population of approximately 120,000 people. By the time that the Hall of Justice was vacated and the courts for the Seventeenth Judicial District were moved to the Adams County Justice Center, the population for Adams County had grown to more than 316,000 people. The current estimated population of Adams County is 422,495 people. On November 15, 2001, the former City of Broomfield became the City and County of Broomfield. When legislation was adopted in anticipation of the creation of Colorado's newest county, the Seventeenth Judicial District was expanded to include two counties, Adams County and the City and County of Broomfield. A new courthouse was built at 17 DesCombes Drive in Broomfield, Colorado to house the County Court and one District Court division for the Seventeenth Judicial District. The Seventeenth Judicial District now serves more than 475,000 residents. The court has grown to thirteen district court divisions, eight county court divisions and seven magistrate divisions sitting in two counties. Court dockets have increased to reflect the burgeoning population growth of the Seventeenth Judicial District. Despite this rapid growth, the Seventeenth Judicial District retains a reputation for developing innovative approaches to the fair and expeditious resolution of litigation. The district has demonstrated leadership in the development of new programs that are responsive to the needs of the community such as the simplified civil litigation program, the truancy reduction project, paperless court, and National Child Victims Model Court designation. The Seventeenth Judicial District has remained on the cutting edge of providing more effective, community-based services which enhance public safety, early resolution of disputes and a just resolution of litigation for its entire history. The district is committed to continuing this leadership into the future. The judicial officers, administrators and staff of the Seventeenth Judicial District continue to dedicate themselves to the fair, just and efficient administration of justice for the residents of Adams and Broomfield Counties. They look forward to meeting the future demands of a dynamic, growing metropolitan community.
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A Tradition of Judicial
Excellence Judge Harlan R. Bockman was awarded the Colorado Judicial Institute's 2003 Judicial Excellence Award for a District Court Judge District Court Judge Chris Melonakis was awarded the National CASA 2007 National Judge of the Year Award, the Colorado CASA 2003 Judge of the Year Award and the Colorado Judicial Branch's 2005 Outstanding Judicial Officer Award District Court Judge John E. Popovich was awarded the 2007 Judicial Excellence Award from the Colorado Section of the American Board of Trial Advocates Adams County Court Judge Cindy H. Bruner was awarded the Colorado Judicial Institute's 2005 Judicial Excellence Award for a County Court Judge Theresa Spahn, Executive Director for the Colorado Office of the Child's Representative and former Seventeenth Judicial District Magistrate, was awarded the National Association of Counsel for Children 2003 Outstanding Legal Advocacy Award and 2005 Child Advocate of the Year Award by Colorado CASA |
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 Courthouse at 450 South Fourth Avenue. Now part of the City of Brighton Municipal Government complex  Hall of Justice 1931 East Bridge Street opened in 1963 |
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