Citation Information
This is an explanation of the different types of citations and how they affect the recipient. As noted on other Campus Police pages, the Fort Lewis College Police Department employs Level I Peace Officers with arrest powers. The officers at Fort Lewis are cross-commissioned with both the city of Durango and LaPlata County, giving them some of the broadest coverage of any peace officers in the area. In short, this means that if there is a law written at ANY level of government (except federal), Fort Lewis police officers are empowered to enforce it. In addition to all the laws (hereafter referred to as statutes) that Fort Lewis police officers enforce, there are also institutional level rules (or policies) written by Fort Lewis College administrators, which Fort Lewis College police officers also enforce. So, beginning at the lowest level and progressing to the more serious, here are the various types of citations you may recieve on the Fort Lewis College campus:
A college ticket may be issued for violations of Fort Lewis College rules or policies. This type of citation resembles a typical shopping reciept, and is usually issued with an envelope. These citations consist solely of a fine, which may be paid at the Cashier's Office (140BH) or the Police and Parking Office (534BH). This type of citation is usually issued for parking violations and other various minor infractions, such as bringing a dog on campus or improper use of a skateboard. There are no courts or judges involved when this type of citation is issued. Enforcement will only escalate to the level of Immobilization/Towing of a vehicle if parking related, or involving a collections agency which may affect your credit rating if it is not parking related. Situations which are referred to the college judicial officer may result in a disciplinary response by the college as well.
A municipal citation may be issued for violations of Municipal Criminal Offenses statutes. This type of citation is a mulitiple form, of which you will ALWAYS recieve the pink copy. The best way to tell this type of citation from a county citation is to look at the title at the top. These citations may consist of a fine, or may require you to appear in municipal court to enter a plea. If you are required to appear in municipal court and fail to do so, a warrant will be issued for your arrest. Fort Lewis College police officers CAN and WILL execute an arrest warrant. If you show up to municipal court and plead "Guilty", the municipal court judge will sentence you. ALL municipal charges/citations are MISDEMEANOR or PETTY offenses. Felonies are not charged into municipal court. Sentences generally consist of a fine and/or jail time, and possibly community service as well. If you show up to municipal court and plead "Not Guilty", a trial will be set up at a later date. The police officer who issued your citation will act as the prosecutor in a municipal court trial. You may have legal representation (a lawyer) if you wish, but you are not required to for most charges. The majority of citations issued by Fort Lewis College police officers fall in this category.
A county citation may be issued for violations of Colorado Revised Statutes.This type of citation is a mulitiple form, of which you will ALWAYS recieve the pink copy. The best way to tell these citations from a municipal citation is to look at the title at the top. These citations may consist of a fine, or may require you to appear in county court to enter a plea. If you are required to appear in county court and fail to do so, a warrant will be issued for your arrest. Fort Lewis College police officers CAN and WILL execute an arrest warrant. If you show up to county court and plead "Guilty", the county court judge will sentence you. County court charges may be petty, misdemeanor or felony offenses. Sentencing guidelines are outlined here. However, citations are NOT issued for felonies. If you received a written county court citation from a police officer, it is for a misdemeanor offense. If you show up to county court and plead "Not Guilty", a trial will be set up at a later date. County court citations are generally reserved for serious violations. A trial in county court will often be a fully formal affair, with lawyers representing both the prosecution and the defense, and possibly a jury, at the defendants option. Convictions in this court can result in VERY serious consequences, up to and including life imprisionment or the death penalty, however these are for serious felonies only. If you received a county court citation and were then released, it was for a misdemeanor offense, and sentencing upon conviction will be appropriate to the crime committed.
If you were looking for more specific information on college issued tickets, you might find what you're looking for here.
