Trials

Colorado

Civil trials in Colorado has grown far less frequent than 15 years ago.

In  FY1989, Colorado District Courts reported they held

·            1,875 jury or judge-only civil trials.

These trials were on all non-criminal, non-juvenile matters, divorces, probate issues, mental health matters and the entire broad spectrum of civil trials.  A review of Jury Verdict Reporter of Colorado issues suggests that car crash jury trials, to take one example, declined from around 110 annually throughout the state to 90 cases or less in recent years, so alternative dispute resolution systems and diminished litigiousness appear to be possible reasons for this trial decline.

By FY 2003, Colorado District Courts reported only

·            681 civil trials.

This astonishing decline in civil matters going to trial has allowed Colorado’s courts to handle a very substantial increase in criminal cases, juvenile cases and “contract” cases, typically involving claims by or alleged legal misdeeds by businesses and corporations.

The Colorado Judicial Branch website has further details on all types of cases and trials at:  http://www.courts.state.co.us/panda/statrep/pandaannualsindex.htm.