U Visas
The U visa is a federal immigration benefit set aside for victims of certain crimes who assist law enforcement or government officials in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity. The District Attorney’s Office is the certifying agency for cases prosecuted in Boulder County. Police Chiefs and the Sheriff can certify, as well, for cases that do not result in a prosecution. The DA’s Office is committed to processing U visa certifications in a timely manner and certifying appropriate applications.
Warrant Forgiveness
If a warrant has been issued against you by a judge for committing a crime or for failure to appear in court, you may be able to deal with this without being arrested. You will need go to that court and appear before a judge. The 20th Judicial District in Boulder County has a walk-in warrant program for certain low-level offenses. Call the Clerk of the Court (303-441-3750) to find out if you qualify and when you will need to appear in court. The DA’s Office also holds “Fresh Start” warrant forgiveness events once or twice a year where you may be eligible to clear your warrant. You may also contact the DA’s Office to try to schedule a time to appear in court on certain warrants that may not qualify for the Court’s walk-in warrant program.
Bias and Hate
Law enforcement and the DA’s Office prioritize the investigation and prosecution of bias and hate crimes in this jurisdiction. If certain actions are motivated, in whole or in part, by bias or hate they may qualify as a bias-motivated crime. The DA’s Office works closely with law enforcement on the investigation and prosecution of these serious crimes. Contact the DA’s Office non-emergency number, 303-441-1595, to report hate or bias-motivated incidents.
Extortion
The DA’s Office worked with allies to help draft and get passed into law a change to the extortion law in Colorado that prohibits the extortion of immigrants for engaging in lawful acts, such as reporting criminal activity to law enforcement. This bill covers circumstances such as wage theft and domestic violence where a victim is threatened that if they call the police, the perpetrator will report them to immigration officials.
Wage Theft
The DA’s Office also helped draft and get passed into law a change to wage theft laws to recognize that a person’s labor is a thing of value that can result in prosecution for theft and imposes the same penalties as the theft statute. Wage theft and crimes against workers are a priority for the District Attorney’s Office. No one should be denied their hard-earned pay.
Community Partnerships
The DA’s Office partners closely with immigrant advocacy groups on training and community outreach.
