(1) (a) Upon filing of the petition, the court shall order a hearing to be held and provide a notice of hearing to the respondent. The court must provide the notice of the hearing not later than one court day after the date of the extreme risk protection order petition. The court may schedule a hearing by telephone pursuant to local court rule to reasonably accommodate a disability or, in exceptional circumstances, to protect a petitioner from potential harm. The court shall require assurances of the petitioner's identity before conducting a telephonic hearing.
Before the next court day, the court clerk shall forward a copy of the notice of hearing and petition to the law enforcement agency in the jurisdiction where the respondent resides for service upon the respondent.
A copy of the notice of hearing and petition must be served upon the respondent inaccordance with the rules for service of process as provided in rule 4 of the Colorado rules of civil procedure or rule 304 of the Colorado rules of county court civil procedure. Service issued pursuant to this section takes precedence over the service of other documents, unless the other documents are of a similar emergency nature.
The court may, as provided in section 13-14.5-103, issue a temporary extreme riskprotection order pending the hearing ordered pursuant to subsection (1)(a) of this section. The temporary extreme risk protection order must be served concurrently with the notice of hearing and petition.
Upon hearing the matter, if the court finds by clear and convincing evidence, basedon the evidence presented pursuant to subsection (3) of this section, that the respondent poses a significant risk of causing personal injury to self or others by having in his or her custody or control a firearm or by purchasing, possessing, or receiving a firearm, the court shall issue an extreme risk protection order for a period of three hundred sixty-four days.
In determining whether grounds for an extreme risk protection order exist, the courtmay consider any relevant evidence, including but not limited to any of the following:
A recent act or credible threat of violence by the respondent against self or others,whether or not such violence or credible threat of violence involves a firearm;
A pattern of acts or credible threats of violence by the respondent within the pastyear, including but not limited to acts or credible threats of violence by the respondent against self or others;
A violation by the respondent of a civil protection order issued pursuant to article 14 of this title 13;
A previous or existing extreme risk protection order issued against the respondentand a violation of a previous or existing extreme risk protection order;
A conviction of the respondent for a crime that included an underlying factual basisof domestic violence as defined in section 18-6-800.3 (1);
The respondent's ownership, access to, or intent to possess a firearm;
A credible threat of or the unlawful or reckless use of a firearm by the respondent;
The history of use, attempted use, or threatened use of unlawful physical force by therespondent against another person, or the respondent's history of stalking another person as described in section 18-3-602;
Any prior arrest of the respondent for a crime listed in section 24-4.1-302 (1) orsection 18-9-202;
Evidence of the abuse of controlled substances or alcohol by the respondent;
Whether the respondent is required to possess, carry, or use a firearm as a conditionof the respondent's current employment; and
Evidence of recent acquisition of a firearm or ammunition by the respondent.
(4) The court may:
Examine under oath the petitioner, the respondent, and any witnesses they may produce, or, in lieu of examination, consider sworn affidavits of the petitioner, the respondent, and any witnesses they may produce; and
Request that the Colorado bureau of investigation conduct a criminal history recordcheck related to the respondent and provide the results to the court under seal.
The court shall allow the petitioner and respondent to present evidence and crossexamine witnesses and be represented by an attorney at the hearing.
In a hearing pursuant to this article 14.5, the rules of evidence apply to the sameextent as in a civil protection order proceeding pursuant to article 14 of this title 13.
During the hearing, the court shall consider any available mental health evaluation orchemical dependency evaluation provided to the court.
(a) Before issuing an extreme risk protection order, the court shall consider whether the respondent meets the standard for a court-ordered evaluation for persons with mental health disorders pursuant to section 27-65-106. If the court determines that the respondent meets the standard, then, in addition to issuing an extreme risk protection order, the court shall order mental health treatment and evaluation authorized pursuant to section 27-65-106 (6).
(b) Before issuing an extreme risk protection order, the court shall consider whether the respondent meets the standard for an emergency commitment pursuant to section 27-81-111. If the court determines that the respondent meets the standard, then, in addition to issuing an extreme risk protection order, the court shall order an emergency commitment pursuant to section 27-81-111.
(9) An extreme risk protection order must include:
A statement of the grounds supporting the issuance of the order;
The date and time the order was issued;
The date and time the order expires;
The address of the court in which any responsive pleading should be filed;
The requirements for relinquishment of a firearm and concealed carry permit pursuant to section 13-14.5-108; and (f) The following statement:
To the subject of this extreme risk protection order: This order will last until the date and time noted above. If you have not done so already, you must immediately surrender any firearms in your custody, control, or possession and any concealed carry permit issued to you. You may not have in your custody or control a firearm or purchase, possess, receive, or attempt to purchase or receive a firearm while this order is in effect. You have the right to request one hearing to terminate this order during the period that this order is in effect, starting from the date of this order and continuing through any renewals. You may seek the advice of an attorney as to any matter connected with this order.
When the court issues an extreme risk protection order, the court shall inform therespondent that he or she is entitled to request termination of the order in the manner prescribed by section 13-14.5-107. The court shall provide the respondent with a form to request a termination hearing.
(a) If the court issues an extreme risk protection order, the court shall state the particular reasons for the court's issuance.
(b) If the court denies the issuance of an extreme risk protection order, the court shall state the particular reasons for the court's denial.
If the court denies the issuance of an extreme risk protection order but ordered atemporary extreme risk protection order and a law enforcement agency took custody of the respondent's concealed carry permit or the respondent surrendered his or her concealed carry permit as a result of the temporary extreme risk protection order, the sheriff who issued the concealed carry permit shall reissue the concealed carry permit to the respondent within three days, at no charge to the respondent.
If the court issues an extreme risk protection order and the petitioner is a law enforcement officer or agency, the petitioner shall make a good-faith effort to provide notice of the order to a family or household member of the respondent and to any known third party who may be at direct risk of violence. The notice must include referrals to appropriate resources, including domestic violence, behavioral health, and counseling resources.
Source: L. 2019: Entire article added, (HB 19-1177), ch. 108, p. 387, § 1, effective April 12. L. 2020: (8)(b) amended, (SB 20-007), ch. 286, p. 1414, § 46, effective July 13.