Arrest records are public documents in Golden, Colorado, pursuant to the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA), C.R.S. § 24-72-201 et seq. This legislation establishes that government-held records, including those pertaining to arrests, are accessible to members of the public. The statute serves to promote transparency and accountability within law enforcement agencies and governmental operations throughout the state of Colorado.
The Golden Police Department maintains arrest records in accordance with state regulations. These records may be requested by any member of the public, though certain restrictions may apply to protect ongoing investigations or sensitive information as outlined in C.R.S. § 24-72-305. Requestors need not provide identification or state a purpose when seeking access to these public records.
Multiple methods are available for obtaining arrest records in Golden, Colorado. The City of Golden has implemented several access points to facilitate public record retrieval:
In-person requests may be submitted at the Golden Police Department Records Division, located at 911 10th Street, Golden, CO 80401. Counter hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The Golden Municipal Court provides access to court records related to arrests within city jurisdiction. The court is located at Golden City Hall, 911 10th Street, Golden, CO 80401.
Electronic requests can be submitted through the City of Golden's public records portal, which processes CORA requests for various city departments, including the police department.
Public access terminals are available at the Golden City Hall during regular business hours for individuals wishing to conduct searches independently.
Pursuant to the City of Golden's Comprehensive Fee Schedule, requestors may be charged $5.00 for reports up to 6 pages, with an additional $0.25 per page thereafter. Payment must be remitted prior to the release of records.
Standard arrest records maintained by the Golden Police Department contain specific information as mandated by Colorado state law. These records typically include:
Certain information may be redacted from public arrest records in accordance with C.R.S. § 24-72-305.5, including social security numbers, driver's license information, and details that might compromise victim safety or ongoing investigations.
The State of Colorado provides legal mechanisms for the expungement or sealing of arrest records under specific circumstances. Pursuant to C.R.S. § 24-72-701 through 709, individuals may petition for record sealing if their case meets statutory requirements.
The expungement process requires filing a petition with the court that handled the original case. For municipal violations, petitions must be filed with the Golden Municipal Court. For more serious offenses, petitions are filed with the Jefferson County District Court located at 100 Jefferson County Parkway, Golden, CO 80401.
Eligibility criteria for expungement in Golden include:
The court evaluates each petition based on statutory guidelines, considering factors such as:
If granted, expungement results in the physical destruction or sealing of records from state and federal repositories. Following expungement, individuals may legally state they have not been arrested or convicted of the expunged offense when asked on employment applications or housing forms, with certain exceptions for law enforcement and licensing agencies.
Juvenile arrest records in Golden are subject to heightened confidentiality protections under Colorado law. Pursuant to C.R.S. § 19-1-304, access to juvenile records is restricted to:
The Golden Police Department and Municipal Court maintain juvenile records separately from adult records. These records are not accessible through standard public records requests without court authorization or statutory permission.
Juvenile records may be eligible for expungement under C.R.S. § 19-1-306, which provides broader expungement opportunities than those available for adult records. The petition process is initiated through the court that handled the juvenile case, typically the Jefferson County Juvenile Court.
While arrest records are generally public in Golden, certain statutory exceptions limit access in specific circumstances:
The Golden Police Department Records Division reviews all requests to ensure compliance with these statutory protections. Redactions may be applied to public records before release to protect information exempt from disclosure.
Golden Police Department
911 10th Street
Golden, CO 80401
Phone: (303) 384-8045
Golden Police Department Records Division