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Jefferson County Traffic Lawyer: Golden Traffic Court Defense

Walkway approaching the Jefferson County Courts and Administration Building in Golden, Colorado, with the foothills behind — The approach to the Jefferson County Courts and Administration Building in Golden, Colorado.

If you were ticketed anywhere in Jefferson County, from the I-70 descent out of the mountains to U.S. 285, Highway 93, or the streets of Lakewood and Arvada, your county court case will be heard in Golden. Most of the tickets I see here are written by the Colorado State Patrol and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, and a lot of them come from drivers coming down I-70, where gravity makes speeding easy.

I’m Monte Robbins. I’ve defended traffic and criminal traffic cases in Jefferson County Court for more than 20 years, and I personally handle every case. This page explains how Golden’s traffic court actually works, starting with the one detail most people miss: the letter in your case number.

Is Your Case an “R” or a “T”?

Look at your case number. In Jefferson County it tells you what kind of case you have:

R (for example, 2026R…): a traffic infraction. No jail, but fines and points.
T (for example, 2026T…): a criminal traffic offense. Possible jail, more points, and a criminal record. Speeding 25 mph or more over the limit, careless driving, reckless driving, and driving under restraint are common examples.

The two are handled in different courtrooms, on different schedules.

How Jefferson County Traffic Court Works

Traffic Infractions (R Cases)

First hearing: generally Courtroom T, usually set at 1:15 p.m. Some review hearings on infractions are held there too.
Final Hearing: if you contest the ticket, the Final Hearing is held in Courtroom 100.

Criminal Traffic (T Cases)

Arraignment: generally in Room 110, the county court’s duty division.
After that: the case usually moves to a trial courtroom on the third floor for further hearings, motions, negotiations, and trial if needed.

Do I Have to Be There?

On a criminal traffic case, you are expected to appear. I can file a motion asking the court to waive your appearance, but it’s up to the judge. A virtual appearance may also be possible by motion. That matters for out-of-state drivers and anyone who lives far from Golden, so it’s worth raising early.

County Court or City Court?

Jefferson County has several cities with their own municipal courts, and their police generally prefer to write tickets into their own court. But state criminal traffic charges come into Golden from every agency in the county: the State Patrol, the Sheriff’s Office, and the police in Lakewood, Arvada, Wheat Ridge, Golden, Edgewater, and parts of Westminster and Littleton.

Your summons will say which court you’re in. If it’s a city court, see:

Coming Down I-70

The stretch of I-70 coming down out of the mountains through Jefferson County is one of the easiest places in Colorado to get a speeding ticket. The grade does the work, speed limits change quickly, and the State Patrol watches it closely, along with the Sheriff’s Office.

Speeding and careless driving are often charged together, even when there was no accident and the stop was really about speed.
Speeding 25 mph or more over is a criminal traffic offense, not a ticket you can just pay.
Truck drivers face extra risk on the descent, including brake problems, and a conviction can affect a CDL even more than a regular license. See my I-70 Mountain Corridor CDL Lawyer page.

How These Cases Resolve

There are no automatic reductions in Jefferson County for speeding 25 mph over or careless driving. What can be accomplished depends on the evidence, including video, your driving history, and the mitigation we can show. That’s why I review the discovery and your record before recommending anything.

Charges I handle in Jefferson County include:

Speeding, including 25+ and 40+ over
Careless driving and reckless driving
Driving under restraint and habitual traffic offender
Hit and run and failure to report an accident
No insurance

For DUI or DWAI, see my Jefferson County DUI Lawyer page.

Points and Your License

Too many points in too short a time leads to a DMV suspension hearing:

Driver	12 months	24 months
21 and older	12 points	18 points
18 to 21	9 points	12 points
Under 18	6 points	7 points
Chauffeur	16 points	24 points

Speeding points: 5–9 over is 1 point, 10–19 over is 4, 20–39 over is 6, and 40 or more over is 12. Since August 12, 2026, driving 100 mph or more adds 4 more points, and repeat violations at 20+ over add extra points. See my Colorado Speeding Ticket Lawyer guide.

Frequently Asked Questions About Jefferson County Traffic Tickets

What does the R or T in my Jefferson County case number mean?

R means a traffic infraction, with no jail. T means a criminal traffic offense, which is handled in a different courtroom and can carry jail.

Where is my first court date for a Jefferson County traffic ticket?

Infractions generally go to Courtroom T, usually at 1:15 p.m. Criminal traffic arraignments are generally in Room 110, the duty division.

I was charged with speeding 25 over. Why can’t I just pay it?

Because 25 mph or more over is a criminal traffic offense. The court has to advise you of your rights and address the charge, so it can’t be paid online.

Why was I charged with careless driving too?

On mountain corridors like I-70, high speed is often treated as a safety issue, so careless driving gets added even without an accident.

I live out of state. Do I have to come back to Golden?

On criminal traffic, you’re expected to appear, but I can file a motion to waive your appearance or ask for a virtual appearance. It’s up to the court, so raise it early.

My ticket was written by Lakewood police. Is my case in Golden?

It depends on the charge. Cities usually send tickets to their own municipal court, but state criminal traffic charges go to Jefferson County Court in Golden. Your summons will say which.

Talk to a Jefferson County Traffic Lawyer

Call me at 303-355-5148 or contact my office for a free consultation. You’ll speak with me, not a staff member.

Ticketed somewhere else? See my Arapahoe County Traffic Lawyer and Adams County Traffic Lawyer pages.

Client Reviews

An excellent lawyer choice for my son who was charged with driving while his license was revoked. DMV had mistakenly sent (3) letters of revocation to the incorrect address, so I hired Monty to prove that my son never knew his license was revoked. Monty kept me informed at all times as to what was...

Linda

I consulted three other attorneys on my traffic offense in Colorado and none of them thought I could beat it. Then I consulted with Monte Robbins. He not only relieved my warrant without my presence in Colorado, but he got my habitual driving offense reduced to an infraction. I was up against the...

Steve

I hired Monte J. Robbins to represent me. He gave 110% to my case never rushed me off the phone, quick to gather all information regarding my case. Monte is very knowledgeable and helped me out a lot. He kept me informed every step of the way through my case. I was always able to get a hold of him...

Jeremy