John Scarffe, Boulder County. Boulder County District Attorney Michael Dougherty has announced that district and county jury trials have been postponed through May 15, 2020, due to COVID-19. That would appear to be the case for Michael David Czeponis, 39, of Nederland, who was bound over for trial on criminal mischief and two counts of sexual assault by a person in a position of trust after his Preliminary Hearing on January 27, 2020. 

His trial was scheduled to begin on April 17, 2020. Nederland Marshal Larry Johns said all the cases in Boulder County Courts have been vacated through April. If the Czeponis case did move forward, it would not be in the public, but he doesn’t think it will.

Dougherty said the District Attorney’s Office will remain open. An appointment is required to enter the DA’s Office. Contact the general number, 303-441-3700, if you require assistance.

Court operations in Longmont are suspended through April 17. The Longmont courthouse will be closed. Any Longmont court proceedings will be handled in Boulder.

The Boulder Justice Center, 1777 6th Street, will remain open for appointments only.

All District Court jury trials from March 18 through May 15, 2020, have been postponed, and all County Court jury trials from March 18 to May 31, 2020, have been postponed. 

All jurors who received a summons for those dates have been excused and their service is complete. All preliminary hearings will be pushed back past May 31. The Court will make a finding of good cause to delay all preliminary hearings, Dougherty said.

The Court is only open for matters involving public safety through April 17. All other matters will be processed at a later date.

(Originally published in the April 9, 2020, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)