La Plata County
La Plata County was founded in 1874 and named after the Spanish word for "silver," reflecting the region's mining heritage. Durango serves as the county seat. La Plata County covers 1,689.7 total square miles and is ranked 26th by size within the state of Colorado. La Plata has a population of over 55,638 people as of the 2020 U.S. census. The District Court, County Court, and three Municipal Courts in La Plata County make up the county court system.
The La Plata County District Court is part of the 6th Judicial District in Colorado. It has general jurisdiction over all civil and criminal cases and typically handles cases outside the authority of different courts. It oversees matters such as divorce, adoption, child support/custody, felony criminal cases, probate, and juvenile cases. The County Court has limited jurisdiction over certain types of cases, such as traffic citations, civil cases under $25,000, small claims, restraining orders, misdemeanor criminal cases, and preliminary hearings for felony cases, which may later be transferred to the District Court. La Plata County Municipal Courts have jurisdiction over violations of city and town ordinances. They also handle cases involving parking and traffic violations within city limits. Municipal Courts have the same jurisdiction as county and district courts for civil protection order cases specifically.
La Plata County records include exhibits, files, and documents from civil and criminal cases overviewed within local county courts. These records are made of warrants, docket entries, transcripts, motions, judgments, fines, and orders obtained through various legal proceedings. Common La Plata County records include the following:
- Criminal Records
- Civil Records
- Juvenile Records
- Probate Records
- Family Records
In La Plata County, court records are maintained by the Clerk of Courts. Records may be searched in person by visiting the clerk's office.
