I know people have questions about the proposed Weld County Justice Center.
Good.
They should.
This is a major public project, and taxpayers have every right to ask hard questions. I ask hard questions, too. I’m a Weld County taxpayer before I’m a Weld County Commissioner, and I don’t believe government gets a blank check just because it puts the word “justice” on the front of a building.
But before we talk about cost, location, design, or politics, we need to start with the most basic question:
Does Weld County actually need a new Justice Center?
The answer is yes.
And more than that, providing court facilities is not optional.
Colorado law places that responsibility on counties. Under C.R.S. 13-3-108, county commissioners are responsible for providing and maintaining adequate courtrooms and other court facilities. Under C.R.S. 13-6-304, county commissioners shall provide court facilities at the county seat.
That means Weld County cannot simply shrug and say, “Courts are expensive. Good luck.” That would be irresponsible, unlawful, and about as useful as fixing a leaky roof with positive thinking.
The county has a duty to provide adequate court facilities. The real question is whether we meet that duty with planning, discipline, and transparency – or whether we wait until growth and rising costs make the problem even worse.
I prefer planning.
Weld County has changed dramatically. According to the State Court Administrator’s Facility and Space Needs Assessment, Weld County grew from 183,074 people in 2000 to 331,459 in 2020. The 2025 estimate is 378,531, and the 2040 projection is 479,150.
That kind of growth affects roads, public safety, human services, elections, law enforcement, and yes, the courts. A justice system designed for yesterday’s Weld County cannot serve tomorrow’s Weld County forever.
Our current court facilities have served this county well. The historic courthouse is a beautiful building and an important part of our history. The people working inside our court system have done a remarkable job making old spaces work. But “making it work” is not a long-term facilities plan. It is duct tape with a calendar invite.
Right now, Weld County court and probation operations are spread across several locations: the Historic Courthouse, Plaza West, Centennial Center, the jail courtroom, the Chase Building for probation, and the Fort Lupton probation location. That is laid out in the State Court Administrator’s assessment materials, and anyone who has had to navigate the current system knows the practical problem.
It creates challenges for the public, employees, jurors, attorneys, law enforcement, victims, witnesses, and families trying to move through the justice system.
The State Court Administrator’s assessment says the Weld County Courthouse complex has operated effectively, but it has aged, reached capacity, and cannot accommodate the projected 20-year growth for the 19th Judicial District. It also notes that the current setup spans multiple buildings, creating operational and wayfinding challenges.
That is the polite government way of saying: this thing is out of runway.
The need is not cosmetic. This is not about building a monument to government. It is about basic function and safety.
The assessment identifies problems with secure paths of travel for judicial staff, separation between public, private, and secure movement, courtroom accessibility, public waiting areas, jury assembly, parking, and security checkpoints. Weld County also summarized these concerns in its release, “State court assessment highlights need for new justice center”.
That matters.
Court buildings are not normal office buildings. They bring together people under stress: defendants, victims, witnesses, jurors, attorneys, judges, deputies, clerks, families, and the public. A modern justice center has to move those people safely and efficiently. It has to protect rights, preserve dignity, maintain order, and allow the justice system to function without turning every hallway into a human traffic jam.
The 20-year projection calls for 35 courtrooms and hearing rooms, including holding cells, plus space for the Clerk’s Office, court administration, public areas, jury assembly, first appearance, and probation intake. The total estimated new space need is about 226,000 square feet, according to the State Court Administrator’s Facility and Space Needs Assessment.
Those numbers are not pulled out of thin air. They come from a formal assessment prepared with the 19th Judicial District’s Chief Judge, Court Executive, Chief Probation Officer, and professional facility analysis.
Now, let me address the elephant in the room: cost and the Weld County Home Rule Charter.
Those concerns are fair. They deserve clear answers, not slogans, rumors, or Facebook-law-school hot takes.
Here is my commitment to you and how I will advocate as one of five on the Weld County Board of Commissioners: Weld County will comply with our Home Rule Charter. Weld County will comply with state law. And we are not proposing a tax increase for this Justice Center.
The county’s Justice Center FAQ also addresses questions about funding, tax increases, bond measures, and the Home Rule Charter. I will write more about the Charter issue separately, because it deserves its own plain-English explanation.
But for now, residents should know this: the need for a Justice Center is real, the county’s legal responsibility is real, and the Board is approaching this with the seriousness it deserves.
Nobody should support a project this large blindly.
But nobody should oppose it blindly, either.
Weld County is growing. The justice system is not optional. Safe, accessible, functional court facilities are not optional. Our job is to meet that responsibility with discipline, transparency, and respect for the taxpayers who foot the bill.
That is exactly what I intend to do.
Sources
C.R.S. 13-3-108 – Maintenance of court facilities / capital improvements:
https://law.justia.com/codes/colorado/title-13/courts-of-record/article-3/section-13-3-108/
C.R.S. 13-6-304 – Court facilities at the county seat:
https://law.justia.com/codes/colorado/title-13/courts-of-record/article-6/part-3/section-13-6-304/
Weld County Justice Center – Court Administrator Assessment:
https://wcjc.weld.gov/Court-Administrator-Assessment
Weld County Justice Center – FAQs:
https://wcjc.weld.gov/FAQs
Weld County News Release – State court assessment highlights need for new justice center:
https://www.weld.gov/Newsroom/2026-News/State-court-assessment-highlights-need-for-new-justice-center
