Colorado Revised Statutes

Colo. Rev. Stat. § 20-1-201 (2026)

Deputies - chief deputies - staff

✓ current as of July 2026

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(1) (a) The district attorney in every judicial district is authorized to appoint such deputy district attorneys as he deems necessary to properly discharge the duties of his office, with the approval of the board of county commissioners or boards of county commissioners of multicounty districts or the city council of a city and county affected, and such deputies shall hold their offices during the pleasure of such district attorney. Such deputies shall not engage in the private practice of law nor receive any income from any private law firm.

(b) The district attorney in every judicial district is authorized to appoint one or more part-time deputies to fulfill the duties of the district attorney. The part-time deputies shall be entitled to receive as compensation for services rendered a sum as provided in section 20-1-203. The part-time deputy may engage in the private practice of law; except that he or she may not engage in the practice of criminal defense in the same judicial district as the district attorney's office where he or she is employed.

(c) The district attorney in every judicial district is authorized to appoint such special deputy district attorneys as he deems necessary to properly discharge the duties of his office, and such special deputies shall hold their offices during the pleasure of such district attorney. Such special deputies shall receive no compensation for their services from the county or counties of the judicial district; except that such special deputies may be reimbursed their ordinary and necessary expenses, including travel. Such special deputies shall only be appointed from among those persons holding office as attorney general, deputy attorney general, assistant attorney general, or special assistant attorney general of the state of Colorado, or as district attorney, assistant district attorney, chief deputy district attorney, or deputy district attorney of another judicial district, or as United States attorney or assistant United States attorney for the district of Colorado, or as city attorney or assistant city attorney of a city and county in this state, or an attorney employed by the Colorado district attorneys' council and actively licensed to practice law in the state of Colorado. (d) To prosecute felony nonsupport actions pursuant to article 6 of title 14, the district attorney in every judicial district is authorized to appoint any attorney performing child support enforcement services for the county department of human or social services pursuant to article 13 of title 26 as a special deputy district attorney, whether the attorney is employed by the department directly, as a contractual agent for the department, or through the services of a private company under contract with the department. A special deputy district attorney appointed pursuant to this subsection (1) shall not be granted all of the powers enumerated in section 16- 2.5-101. The powers granted by this appointment are limited to the prosecutions delineated in this subsection (1).

(2) The district attorney in every judicial district may designate and appoint chief deputy district attorneys, who shall be attorneys-at-law admitted to practice within this state. All chief deputy district attorneys shall hold office at the pleasure of the district attorney; except that no district attorney may appoint more than one chief deputy district attorney without the prior approval of the board of county commissioners or boards of county commissioners of multicounty districts or the city council of the city and county affected. Such chief deputies shall not engage in the private practice of law nor receive any income from any private law firm.

(3) Repealed.

(4) The district attorney shall provide that any member of his staff be assigned regular duties or duty hours in accordance with the schedule of compensation paid such staff member.

Source: L. 1885: p. 176, § 1. L. 1889: p. 150, § 1. R.S. 08: § 2102. C.L. § 5983. CSA: C. 55, § 11. CRS 53: § 45-3-1. C.R.S. 1963: § 45-3-1. L. 67: p. 596, § 2. L. 71: p. 516, § 2. L. 73: p. 550, § 1. L. 75: (1) and (2) amended, pp. 656, 657, §§ 1, 2, effective July 1. L. 79: (1)(c) added, p. 769, § 1, effective May 18. L. 80: (1)(c) amended, p. 549, § 1, effective March 17. L. 96: (1)(d) added and (3) amended, p. 613, §§ 17, 18, effective July 1. L. 2004: (1)(d) amended, p. 1199, § 54, effective August 4. L. 2013: (1)(b) and (1)(c) amended, (SB 13-229), ch. 272, p. 1431, § 14, effective July 1. L. 2018: (1)(d) amended, (SB 18-092), ch. 38, p. 434, § 83, effective August 8; (3) repealed, (HB 18-1138), ch. 88, p. 693, § 7, effective August 8.

Editor's note: The amendments made to this section in 1975 were in an act with a July 1, 1975, effective date, but the Governor did not sign the act until July 14, 1975.

Cross references: (1) For oath and bond of deputies and chief deputies, see § 20-1-101.

(2) For the legislative declaration in SB 18-092, see section 1 of chapter 38, Session Laws of Colorado 2018. For the legislative declaration in HB 18-1138, see section 1 of chapter 88, Session Laws of Colorado 2018.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 17 cases (2 in the last 5 years), 1977–2024 · leading case: Beacom Ex Rel. Seventeenth Jud. Dist. v. Bd. of Cnty. Commissioners, 657 P.2d 440 (Colo. 1983).

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Beacom Ex Rel. Seventeenth Jud. Dist. v. Bd. of Cnty. Commissioners, 657 P.2d 440 (Colo. 1983). · cites it 5× “The district court approved a budget of $1,371,299 for the district attorney’s office, including the requested investigator position and pay, but excluding an appropriation for an additional chief deputy district attorney because section 20-1-201(2), C.R.S. 1973 (1978 Repl.”

Leske v. Golder, 124 P.3d 863 (Colo. Ct. App. 2005). · cites it 6× “” However, § 20-1-201, C.R.S. 2004, allows a district attorney to appoint deputy district attorneys, who “shall file with the secretary of state the oath of office required by law to be filed by district attorneys.”

People ex rel. Brown v. Dist. Court, 585 P.2d 593 (Colo. 1978). · cites it 9× “The trial court concluded that section 20-1-201, C.R.S. 1973, (1977 Supp.”

Bragg v. Off. of the Dist. Attorney, Thirteenth Jud. Dist., 704 F. Supp. 2d 1032 (D. Colo. 2009). · cites it 4× “See C.R.S. §§ 20-1-201, 205. *1067 However, prosecutorial discretion extends only to the district attorney himself, not necessarily to the office of the district attorney.”

People v. Corr, 682 P.2d 20 (Colo. 1984). “1, § 20-1-201(1)(c), 1979 Colo.Sess.Laws 769; cf.”

O'Hara v. People, 271 P.3d 503 (Colo. 2012). · cites it 3× “By statute, the elected district attorney in each judicial district may appoint subordinates, including "deputy district attorneys," section 20-1-201(1), C.R.S. (2011), a "chief deputy district attorney," seetion 20-1-201(2), and an "assistant district attorney," section…”

Corr v. Dist. Court In & For the Eighth Jud. Dist., 661 P.2d 668 (Colo. 1983). · cites it 2× “We conclude that under the totality of circumstances present here the district attorney knew of both the district and county court charges when Corr entered his plea of guilty to the charge of driving under the influence, and that accordingly the third requirement of the…”

People v. MacRander, 828 P.2d 234 (Colo. 1992). · cites it 3× “(1986), but also “such deputy district attorneys as he deems necessary to properly discharge the duties of his office,” § 20-1-201(1)(a), 8B C.R.S. (1986). Assistant, chief deputy, and deputy district attorneys must be admitted to practice law in the State of Colorado, serve at…”

Montrose Cnty. Sch. Dist. RE-1J v. Lambert, 826 P.2d 349 (Colo. 1992). “§§ 20-1-201 and -202 (1977). Title 14, Article 2, Part 2, of the Colorado Revised Statutes also contains a variety of provisions designed to ensure independent treatment of spouses in economic and legal matters.”

People Colorado v. Macrander, 817 P.2d 579 (Colo. Ct. App. 1991). · cites it 2× “The elected district attorney may appoint deputies, § 20-1-201, C.R.S. (1986 Repl. Vol. 8B), and assistants, § 20-1-206, C.”

Klinger v. Adams Cnty. Sch. Dist. No. 50, 109 P.3d 1014 (Colo. Ct. App. 2005). · cites it 2× “§ 127b(a)(reimbursement of a member of Congress for the use of his or her private phone for official business); § 20-1-201(l)(c), C.R.S.2003 (reimbursement of expenses incurred by an uncompensated special deputy district attorney).”

People ex rel. Brown v. Dist. Court, 585 P.2d 593 (Colo. 1978). · cites it 9× “The trial court concluded that section 20-1-201, C.R.S. 1973, (1977 Supp.”

Show all 17 citing cases →

— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 20-1-201(1) — 1 case

O'Hara v. People, 271 P.3d 503 (Colo. 2012). “By statute, the elected district attorney in each judicial district may appoint subordinates, including "deputy district attorneys," section 20-1-201(1), C.R.S. (2011), a "chief deputy district attorney," seetion 20-1-201(2), and an "assistant district attorney," section…”

— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 20-1-201(1)(a) — 1 case

People v. MacRander, 828 P.2d 234 (Colo. 1992). “(1986), but also “such deputy district attorneys as he deems necessary to properly discharge the duties of his office,” § 20-1-201(1)(a), 8B C.R.S. (1986). Assistant, chief deputy, and deputy district attorneys must be admitted to practice law in the State of Colorado, serve at…”

— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 20-1-201(1)(c) — 1 case

People v. Corr, 682 P.2d 20 (Colo. 1984). “1, § 20-1-201(1)(c), 1979 Colo.Sess.Laws 769; cf.”

— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 20-1-201(2) — 2 cases

Beacom Ex Rel. Seventeenth Jud. Dist. v. Bd. of Cnty. Commissioners, 657 P.2d 440 (Colo. 1983). “The district court approved a budget of $1,371,299 for the district attorney’s office, including the requested investigator position and pay, but excluding an appropriation for an additional chief deputy district attorney because section 20-1-201(2), C.R.S. 1973 (1978 Repl.”

— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 20-1-201(3) — 1 case

Leske v. Golder, 124 P.3d 863 (Colo. Ct. App. 2005). “” However, § 20-1-201, C.R.S. 2004, allows a district attorney to appoint deputy district attorneys, who “shall file with the secretary of state the oath of office required by law to be filed by district attorneys.”

— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 20-1-201(c) — 2 cases

Davenport v. Parrot (Colo. Ct. App. 2024).

— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 20-1-201(l)(c) — 1 case

Klinger v. Adams Cnty. Sch. Dist. No. 50, 109 P.3d 1014 (Colo. Ct. App. 2005). “§ 127b(a)(reimbursement of a member of Congress for the use of his or her private phone for official business); § 20-1-201(l)(c), C.R.S.2003 (reimbursement of expenses incurred by an uncompensated special deputy district attorney).”

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