CO Code § 16-11-205 (2021)
2021 Colorado Code|Title 16 - Criminal Proceedings|Article 11 - Imposition of Sentence|Part 2 - Probation|§ 16-11-205. Arrest of Probationer - Revocation

  A probation officer may arrest any probationer when:   He has a warrant commanding that the probationer be arrested; or    He has probable cause to believe that a warrant for the probationer's arrest has been issued in this state or another state for any criminal offense or for violation of the conditions of probation; or    Any offense under the laws of this state has been or is being committed by the probationer in his presence; or    He has probable cause to believe that a crime has been committed and the probationer has committed such crime; or    He has probable cause to believe that the conditions of probation have been violated and probable cause to believe that the probationer is leaving or about to leave the state, or that the probationer will fail or refuse to appear before the court to answer charges of violation of the conditions of probation, or that the arrest of the probationer is necessary to prevent physical harm to the probationer or another person or the commission of a crime; or    The probationer, who is on probation as a result of a conviction of any felony except a class 1 felony, has been tested for the illegal or unauthorized use of a controlled substance and the result of such test is positive.       If a probation officer has reason to believe that the conditions of probation have been violated by any probationer, he may issue a summons requiring the probationer to appear before the court at a specified time and place to answer charges of violation of the conditions of probation. The summons, unless accompanied by a copy of a complaint, shall contain a brief statement of the violation and the date and place thereof. Failure of the probationer to appear before the court as required by the summons shall be deemed a violation of the conditions of probation.    If, rather than issuing a summons, a probation officer makes an arrest, without warrant, of a probationer, the probationer shall be taken without unnecessary delay before the nearest available judge of a court of record. Any probationer so arrested shall have all of the rights afforded by the provisions of this code to persons incarcerated before trial of criminal charges and may be admitted to bail pending probation revocation hearing.    Within seven days after the arrest of any probationer as provided in this section, or within a reasonable time after the issuance of a summons under this section, the probation officer shall complete his or her investigation and either:   File a complaint in the court having jurisdiction of the violation of probation; or    Order the release of the probationer, if imprisoned, and notify the probationer that he is relieved of obligation to appear before the court. In such event, the probation officer shall give written notification to the court of his action.       A complaint alleging the violation of a condition of probation may be filed either by the probation officer pursuant to subsection (4) of this section or by the district attorney. Such complaint shall contain the name of the probationer, shall identify the violation charged and the condition of probation alleged to have been violated, including the date and approximate location thereof, and shall be signed by the probation officer or the district attorney. A copy thereof shall be given to the probationer a reasonable length of time before he appears before the court.    A warrant for the arrest of any probationer for violation of the conditions of probation may be issued by any judge of a court of record upon the report of a probation officer or upon the verified complaint of any person, establishing to the satisfaction of the judge probable cause to believe that a condition of probation has been violated and that the arrest of the probationer is reasonably necessary. The warrant may be executed by any probation officer or by a peace officer authorized to execute warrants in the county in which the probationer is found.    A person or entity that provides supervision pursuant to section 18-1.3-202 (2), C.R.S., may issue a summons and file a complaint with the court for a defendant under his or her supervision in accordance with the provisions of this section.     History. Source: L. 72: R&RE, p. 244, § 1. C.R.S. 1963: § 39-11-205 . L. 87: (5) amended, p. 605, § 6, effective April 6. L. 89: (1)(f) added, p. 876, § 11, effective June 5. L. 2012: IP(4) amended,(SB 12-175), ch. 208, p. 855, § 86, effective July 1. L. 2016: (7) added,(SB 16-164), ch. 284, p. 1160, § 1, effective August 10.    ANNOTATION   Clear purpose of § 16-11-204 (3) is to provide criminal defendant with notice of terms of his probation. People v. Zimmerman, 616 P.2d 997 (Colo. App. 1980).   But failure to comply with § 16-11-204 (3) did not require reversal of revocation. People v. Zimmerman, 616 P.2d 997 (Colo. App. 1980).   Defendant presumed to know that violation may result in revocation. Probation is a privilege, and a criminal defendant is presumed to know that the violation of any term of his probation may result in revocation. People v. Zimmerman, 616 P.2d 997 (Colo. App. 1980).   Subsection (4) limitation inapplicable to deferred sentence revocation proceeding. Since the five-day limitation specified in subsection (4) is not a procedural safeguard required in a probation revocation hearing pursuant to § 16-11-206 , but rather is a prehearing requirement imposed on the probation officer, it is not within the contemplation of § 16-7-403 (2) . People v. Schoonover, 654 P.2d 1340 (Colo. App. 1982).   Application for entry of deferred judgment and imposition of sentence was sufficient to notify defendant of the violations he was alleged to have committed. People v. Allen, 952 P.2d 764 (Colo. App. 1997), rev'd on other grounds, 973 P.2d 620 (Colo. 1999).   Subsection (3) did not apply to actions of district attorney. People v. McPherson, 897 P.2d 923 (Colo. App. 1995).   It would be exalting form over substance for the court to hold that a probation term was not tolled by the filing of a complaint in support of issuance of an arrest warrant to initiate revocation of probation proceedings. People v. Galvin, 961 P.2d 1137 (Colo. App. 1997).   To toll the probation period until probation revocation proceedings are completed, it is sufficient that: (1) A probation officer issue a summons requiring the probationer to appear in court; (2) a probation officer arrest the probationer; (3) a complaint be filed for the revocation of probation; or (4) a report be filed by a probation officer or a verified complaint by any person, together with a request for an arrest warrant. People v. Galvin, 961 P.2d 1137 (Colo. App. 1997).   Probation is a privilege, not a right. Whether a probationer has violated a probation condition presents a question of fact. Once the court finds that a violation has occurred, whether probation should be revoked lies within the discretion of the court. People v. Ickler, 877 P.2d 863 (Colo. 1994); People v. Colabello, 948 P.2d 77 (Colo. App. 1997); People v. Howell, 64 P.3d 894 (Colo. App. 2002).   Parole revocation order must be reversed because defendant did not receive written notice of the condition of probation that he was alleged to have violated. People v. Calderon, 2014 COA 144 , 356 P.3d 993.   Subsection (5) does not specify particular format for complaint alleging violation of probation. The constitutional sufficiency of notice to a probationer that is written, but provided in an irregular format, should be measured by whether the notice sufficiently fulfilled the central function of informing the probationer of the alleged basis for revocation. The original revocation complaint served on the probationer did not specify that the revocation was based upon conviction for a murder the probationer committed while on probation, but instead included the original charges filed. The probationer received constitutionally sufficient written notice, however, in a motion to continue the revocation hearing that explicitly identified the murder conviction as a ground for revocation. People v. Robles, 209 P.3d 1173 (Colo. App. 2009).   Applied in Adair v. People, 651 P.2d 389 (Colo. 1982); People v. Clark, 654 P.2d 847 (Colo. 1982).