TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2026
EYES ON ARVADA
A nonpartisan read on what your city council actually did this week.
6 MIN READ  · WATCH THE MEETING ↗
LEAD STORY

Arvada Municipal Court Warns: Criminal Convictions Not Being Recorded Without a Marshal

The Arvada City Council held two workshop sessions on April 14, 2026 — no formal votes were taken. The first workshop was the City Attorney's Office annual update, the first such presentation ever given by that office. City Attorney Rachel Morris and her team presented an overview of their three divisions (civil, criminal, and risk/safety), highlighting 616 contracts completed, 19 active lawsuits, 7,760 citations processed, and $250,000 recovered for the city in 2025. The second workshop featured Municipal Court Judge Katie Curts, who presented the court's annual update, including a transition to paperless case management, rising caseloads projected to reach nearly 11,000 cases in 2026 due to a fully staffed police department, and significant successes in the One Small Step (OSS) homeless diversion court program.

Judge Curts raised urgent concerns about the lack of a permanent court marshal, showing three videos of courtroom incidents including a defendant walking out during sentencing, a juvenile who had to be physically removed and later charged with felonies, and another individual who approached the bench in a threatening manner. She also noted that without a court marshal to fingerprint convicted defendants, none of Arvada Municipal Court's criminal convictions are currently being recorded in the state database — a significant public safety gap. Council member Fifer raised concern that a court marshal position had previously been approved and then disappeared, and asked staff to investigate what happened.

City Manager Wick provided brief staff updates, announcing that the Kitefest drew 10,000–12,000 attendees, and that Canyon Pines has officially been incorporated into the Arvada Fire Protection District after a years-long effort. The council's next meeting on April 21 will include public hearings and a 4 p.m. executive session, and a strategic planning retreat is scheduled for Saturday.

THE MOTION
No formal motions or votes were taken. Both agenda items were workshop sessions only.
This was a workshop-only meeting. No policy decisions were made, but discussions on court staffing, marshal funding, fines and fees, and rising caseloads signal likely future action items.
“Currently none of our criminal convictions are recorded. We don't have a court marshal to do that fingerprinting.”
— Judge Katie Curts
WORKSHOP · CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ANNUAL UPDATE

First-ever annual report from the city attorney; no formal options debated, but council asked questions on staffing, data, and Axon integration

“Just in January alone with moving traffic violations, in January 2025 we had 530 cases. In January 2026, we had a thousand cases. So it almost doubled just in moving traffic violations.”
— Judge Katie Curts, Illustrating the rapid growth in caseload heading into 2026, driven partly by a fully staffed police department.
WORKSHOP · MUNICIPAL COURT ANNUAL UPDATE

Rising caseloads, paperless court success, and urgent security gaps dominate court's first major council presentation in years

THE OPTIONS · AT A GLANCE
OPTION 1    Add a permanent court marshal  Supported verbally by Griffith, Fifer, Lovisone, and Simpson; Fifer asked for investigation into why a prior marshal position disappeared before approving a new one.  Cost TBD — currently in discussions with city manager and finance
Judge Curts requested a dedicated court marshal to provide consistent courtroom security, fingerprint defendants at sentencing so convictions are recorded in state databases, and reduce threats to staff and the judge. Three video incidents were shown to illustrate the need.
OPTION 2    Expand fines and fees schedule  General council support; Fifer specifically argued fines (not just fees) should carry a deterrent effect without a ceiling.  Revenue impact TBD — court surveying metro-area municipalities for benchmarking
Judge Curts is working with city attorneys to update a fines and fees schedule that has not been revised in over 20 years, with a goal of aligning with inflation and peer cities while not turning the court into a revenue generator.
OPTION 3    New case management software (FullCourt replacement)  No council pushback; Judge Curts indicated this is already in motion.  Cost already budgeted; timing TBD
The court's current FullCourt software dates to the 1990s and has significant limitations. A budget has been set aside; the court is working on scheduling implementation over the next couple of years.
OPTION 4    Expand courtroom space — relocate probation to break room  Discussed by Judge Curts; no formal council endorsement recorded.  Cost TBD
The court is out of physical space, running two simultaneous courtrooms 10 times in Q1 2026 alone. A proposal to move probation officers into an adjacent break room would free up space in the main office. The court has the highest average monthly visitor count of any city department.
OPTION 5    Live streaming of court proceedings  Required by pending state law; no council debate.  Technology upgrades underway; no separate cost cited
A state bill (fairness and transparency) will soon mandate live streaming of municipal court proceedings. Arvada is working to be compliant by the first week of May, covering four separate streams: main courtroom, council chambers overflow court, jail video advisements, and virtual hearings.
“When the city of Thornton saw their police department fully staffed, their case numbers ran from about 8,000 a year to 13,000 a year within a one-year period. So that's when I say buckle up.”
— Judge Katie Curts, Warning council that Arvada may see a dramatic case volume surge now that APD is fully staffed.
WHIP COUNT

Where each member landed

Reach out — they answer to constituents.
COUNCILMEMBER VOTE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ANNUAL UPDATE POSITION
Lauren Simpson
Lauren Simpson
Mayor
720-961-3779
 Absent from vote —
Randy Moorman
Randy Moorman
Mayor Pro Tem · District 1
720-772-6651
 Absent from vote —
Shawna Ambrose
Shawna Ambrose
Councilmember · District 2
970-425-3060
 Absent from vote Asked about unlabeled pie chart segments and requested context on spikes in legal service requests, particularly for parks and pre-pandemic comparisons.
Rebecka Lovisone
Rebecka Lovisone
Councilmember · District 3
720-898-7000
 Absent from vote Asked how current legal tools and staffing align with upcoming code changes, including short-term rental regulations.
Bob Fifer
Bob Fifer
Councilmember · District 4
303-929-4278
 Absent from vote Praised the team's efficiency and concise presentation; noted the importance of public transparency and expressed appreciation for the annual coin tradition.
Sharon Davis
Sharon Davis
Councilmember · At-Large
720-450-4825
 Absent from vote Praised the risk management and safety program, especially the use of Origami Risk software and the cause-mapping approach to preventing repeat workers' comp incidents.
Michael Griffith
Michael Griffith
Councilmember · At-Large
720-898-7000
 Absent from vote Asked whether APD officers had weighed in on the Axon Justice case management system and flagged concern that efficiency gains for one department shouldn't burden another.
MORE QUOTES
“We intentionally give these FTEs, we just expect they're doing exactly what you need, which is the security you need. So maybe we can find out about what happened at Marshall and make sure that if we do this again, the marshal position doesn't go away. It stays.”
— Bob Fifer
Expressing frustration that a court marshal position had been previously approved but apparently eliminated, and asking for an investigation before approving another one.
“Someone just asked me the other day... 'Is anyone ever mean to you?' And I said, 'Every single day. Every single day.'”
— Judge Katie Curts
Describing the daily reality of courtroom security threats faced by herself and court staff.
“We have not had a single case on him since then. That is a miracle for him.”
— Judge Katie Curts
Describing the outcome for a chronically homeless individual with 26 cases since 2021 who was accepted into permanent supportive housing and has had no new municipal court cases since November 2025.
“When I came on council, we didn't feel that way. It felt like we were really struggling and not making the difference. And now we are really gaining ground in the work and the investments we're making and that's paying off.”
— Randy Moorman
Reflecting on the One Small Step program's progress after hearing case success stories from Judge Curts.
“I don't necessarily agree from the fines perspective because I think it needs to hurt. Some of these folks do not feel the hurt.”
— Bob Fifer
Pushing back on the idea that fines should be capped or purely cost-neutral, arguing that deterrence requires meaningful financial penalties.
“Please don't try that at home.”
— Rachel Morris (City Attorney)
Responding humorously to Risk Director Drew Shiveley's suggestion that council members seek out a fire to practice with fire extinguishers.
WHAT'S NEXT

On the calendar

Water Stage 1 drought restrictions took effect April 15, 2026 — the day after this meeting — and Judge Curts mentioned the court may soon handle water restriction violation appeals, which could add to its already-rising caseload. The April 21 council meeting will include public hearings and a 4 p.m. executive session, making it a significant agenda to watch. A council strategic planning retreat is scheduled for the Saturday following this meeting, which may shape budget priorities including the court marshal position and court expansion.

WORTH WATCHING
Bob Fifer
Fifer stated the council had previously approved a court marshal position — implying it was an institutional commitment — but expressed surprise and frustration that it disappeared. If true, this suggests council approvals of staffing positions may not be consistently tracked or enforced through budget cycles. Fifer's call for accountability on this is consistent with his expressed position tonight, but raises a question about whether the council was informed when the position was eliminated.
Bob Fifer
Fifer said he agrees courts should not be revenue generators, yet argued fines should 'hurt' and have no ceiling. He distinguished between fees (cost recovery) and fines (deterrence/punishment), which is a coherent position, but his framing that he 'doesn't necessarily agree from the fines perspective' with the revenue-neutral goal could be read as in tension with the court's legal obligation not to set fines for revenue purposes — a constraint the judge acknowledged.
FROM THE EDITOR

Of E-Bikes and Marshalls

• Follow up on the court marshal gap: When exactly was the previous marshal position approved and eliminated? Who made that decision and why? City manager's office or finance should have records. • The fingerprinting/conviction-recording gap is a significant public safety story: How many convictions have gone unrecorded, and for how long? What offenses are affected? Has this allowed repeat offenders to avoid scrutiny? • Judge Curts projected 10,800 cases in 2026 — a 40% increase over 2025. What resources are being requested in the next budget cycle to handle this, and is the city prepared? • The One Small Step program reports 65 people housed since 2021 and declining chronic homelessness case numbers. This is worth a standalone story with the case managers, nonprofit partners, and formerly homeless participants (with consent). • The fairness and transparency bill requiring live streaming of municipal courts: What is the exact deadline? What happens if Arvada isn't compliant by then? • HB 25-1112 allowing municipalities to handle motor vehicle registration violations — what is the timeline for Arvada adopting this, and what is the projected volume of new cases? • E-bike enforcement: What ordinances currently apply? Is council considering new ordinances or minimum fines? Griffith's suggestion to have juveniles read essays to council is a potential community engagement angle. • Canyon Pines fire district inclusion took 'years' — what were the obstacles and who were the key stakeholders? Now that it's resolved, what development work can proceed?

— RW
DELIVERED AFTER EVERY MEETING
Forward this to a neighbor who pays attention.
EYES ON ARVADA · TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2026
Independent, AI-assisted civic journalism. Not affiliated with the City of Arvada.

Keep reading

© 2026 Eyes On Arvada.
Report abusePrivacy policyTerms of use
beehiivPowered by beehiiv