IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLORADO
COURT OPERATIONS DURING DISTRICT COURT GENERAL ORDER
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC 2023-1
This order supersedes General Order 2022-4.
WHEREAS, the Court continues to evaluate its response to the COVID-19 pandemic while
effectively administering justice; it is hereby
ORDERED that, while entrants to any courthouse or U.S. Probation Office in the District of
Colorado shall not be required to wear masks, judicial officers, at their discretion, may institute rules
regarding mask wearing in their courtrooms. Furthermore, any entrant who has been exposed to
someone with COVID-19 in the past 10 days must wear a mask for 10 days after the last date of that
exposure. Therefore, all entrants to any courthouse or U.S. Probation Office in the District of
Colorado are advised to have a mask on their person. Moreover, this General Order does not
supersede the requirements of the revised Jury Protocols, which require mask wearing for jurors in
the Jury Assembly Room. Any entrant may choose to wear a mask at any time. The U.S. Marshals
and court security officers are authorized to enforce these requirements. It is further
ORDERED that the following persons shall not enter any courthouse or U.S. Probation Office
of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado:
1. Persons who have been asked to self-quarantine by any doctor, hospital, or health
agency.
2. Persons who have, in the past 10 days, been diagnosed with or are currently
experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19, including a fever, cough, shortness of
breath, or loss of sense of taste or smell. However,
a. Persons who have obtained a negative COVID-19 test after
experiencing symptoms may enter; and
b. Persons may enter 5 days after a positive COVID-19 test result provided
their symptoms are improving, they have been fever-free for the past 24
hours without the use of fever-reducing medication, and they wear a
mask through day 10 after a positive test result.
What to do if you are denied access to a District of Colorado courthouse or courtroom:
1. If you are represented by an attorney, please contact your attorney;
2. If you are an attorney and you are scheduled to appear in court before a
judge, please contact the chambers of the presiding judge;
3. If you are scheduled to meet with a Pretrial Services Officer or a Probation
Officer, please contact the U.S. Probation Office at (303) 844-5424;
4. If you are a juror or prospective juror, please contact the Jury Department at
(303) 844-3924; and
5. For other District Court matters, please contact the Clerk’s Office of the U.S.
District Court at (303) 844-3433. It is further
ORDERED that initial appearances on indictments, complaints, and supervised release
petitions, as well as detention hearings and preliminary hearings, will take place in person unless
pandemic-related lockdowns or similar circumstances prevent a defendant from being able to appear
in person. If a defendant requests to appear remotely for one of the above-mentioned hearings under
the CARES Act, the assigned judicial officer may, at his or her discretion, allow that defendant to
appear remotely. All other hearings will take place in person or remotely at the discretion
of the judicial officer as allowed, in the case of criminal hearings, by the Federal Rules of Criminal
Procedure and/or the CARES Act. Family members of parties, victims (as provided in 18 U.S.C.
§ 3771), media, and members of the public may attend all hearings in person. At a judicial officer’s
discretion, such persons may also attend hearings through telephonic access. If a judicial officer
allows telephone access for a hearing, the dial-in information will be posted on the case docket and/or
the judicial officer’s calendar. Unless remote appearances are specifically authorized, attendees are
expected to appear in-person. All persons participating in a court proceeding remotely by telephone or
video teleconference are prohibited, under penalty of contempt, from recording or broadcasting the
proceeding in any manner. It is further
ORDERED that Central Violations Bureau calendars may continue in person. It is
further
ORDERED that naturalization ceremonies may proceed in person subject to availability of
space. It is further
ORDERED that public and bar-related functions may be scheduled in person subject to
availability of space.
Dated at Denver, Colorado this 5th day of January, 2023.
BY THE COURT
PHILIP A. BRIMMER
Chief United States District Judge
2
