Criminal Defense Help When You Cannot Afford an Attorney

Before you read on

Two things to be clear about. First, reading this page or using these links is general information only. It is not legal advice, and it does not create an attorney client relationship with Cruz Law.

Second, programs, phone numbers, and schedules change, so confirm details directly with each organization before you rely on them.

If jail is possible, you have the right to a lawyer. Ask for one.

Criminal cases are different from almost every other legal problem. In a family case or a civil dispute, there is usually no right to a free lawyer. In a criminal case that carries possible jail time, there is. If you cannot afford an attorney, the court must appoint one for you at no cost if you qualify.

So our first and strongest suggestion is simple: do not represent yourself in a criminal case if you can possibly avoid it. At your first court appearance, tell the judge plainly that you want a public defender. Nobody will hold it against you, judges hear it every day, and it is the single best move available to you.

The public defender in state court

• Colorado Office of the State Public Defender. The state agency that provides free, court appointed defense lawyers for people charged with crimes in Colorado state courts, with 21 regional trial offices covering every judicial district and all 64 counties. If you are in jail, you automatically qualify while in custody; if you are out of custody, you apply with proof of income, and their site has a county lookup and a step by step application guide. Phone: 303-764-1400.
• Colorado Judicial Branch, Apply for a Public Defender. The official instructions for requesting a court appointed lawyer: adults use form JDF 208, the Application for a State Paid Professional, and juveniles use JDF 219. There is no filing fee, you can submit the form by email or in person to any public defender office, and the form is available in English, Spanish, and other languages.

If the public defender cannot take your case

• Colorado Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel. When the public defender has a conflict of interest, for example because it already represents someone else involved in the same case, the court appoints a lawyer through this state agency instead, in both criminal and juvenile cases. You do not apply directly; the appointment comes through the court once the conflict is identified. Phone: 720-994-2840.

City court cases

Municipal courts handle city ordinance cases such as trespass, shoplifting, and municipal assault, and many of those charges can carry jail. You can ask for appointed counsel there too. Here are three metro examples we verified; if your case is in another city court, call that court's clerk and ask how to apply.

• Denver Office of the Municipal Public Defender. Free court appointed defense for people charged with Denver municipal ordinance violations, including a dedicated youth program; per the office, all youth with Denver Municipal Court cases are entitled to an attorney at no charge. Adults apply through the office's online application, which is the fastest route, or in person at 710 West Colfax Avenue between 9:30 AM and 12:00 PM. Phone: 720-865-2840.
• Westminster Municipal Court. The court appoints a public defender for qualifying defendants in city cases; you can request one when you check in with a court clerk on your court date, using the court's Application for Court Appointed Counsel. The courthouse is at 3030 Turnpike Drive, and as of this writing the entrance is shifting to the south side off 76th Avenue during construction. Phone: 303-658-2250.
• Broomfield Municipal Court. Broomfield's municipal court, which handles traffic, animal, code violation, and misdemeanor cases, publishes a Court Appointed Counsel Application on its Forms and Court Documents page for defendants who cannot afford a lawyer. The court is at 17 Descombes Drive. Phone: 720-887-2100.

Free representation beyond the public defender

Law school clinic help

• Criminal Defense Clinic, University of Denver Sturm College of Law. Supervised student attorneys represent low income clients charged with misdemeanors and municipal ordinance violations, including assault, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and theft, from arraignment through motions and trial. Capacity follows the academic calendar, so call and ask whether they can take your case. Phone: 303-871-6133.

If you are in prison for a crime you did not commit

• Korey Wise Innocence Project, Colorado Law at CU Boulder. Provides free investigative and legal services to people serving time in Colorado prisons for crimes they did not commit. This is post conviction innocence work for people who are currently incarcerated with a genuine claim of innocence, not help with an open case. Phone: 303-492-8047, which is the law school's general line.

Sealing your criminal record

Sealing hides a Colorado record from public view; the record still exists with restricted access. Many people complete the process on their own using the state's official forms, and free help exists.

Official instructions and forms

• Colorado Judicial Branch, Seal My Case. The official, free self-help hub for sealing criminal and arrest records, organized by situation with instructions and fillable JDF forms: arrests with no charges filed, non-convictions, convictions in county or district court, municipal court convictions, multiple cases, pardoned convictions, and juvenile expungement. There is no phone line for this hub; contact the court where your record was filed with questions.
• Colorado Judicial Branch, Self-Help Forms library. The official library of current Colorado court forms by topic, including record sealing and expungement, post conviction relief, withdrawal of a guilty plea, and the public defender application. Many forms are available in Spanish and other languages.
• Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Court Order Sealing of Arrests. Explains how sealing orders reach the state's criminal history records and points to C.R.S. 24-72-703 for who qualifies. As of this writing, CBI no longer charges its own fee for sealing, though other court fees can still apply.

Free sealing clinics and nonprofit help

• Statewide Free Virtual Legal Clinics, Sealing of Criminal Records clinic. A free virtual clinic on record sealing, held monthly by WebEx on the third Wednesday from 12:00 to 1:30 PM, with no registration needed. As of this writing, the 2026 sessions run from February 18 through December 16, with no January or July session; the current schedule and join details are on the official flyer at the link.
• Expunge Colorado. A nonprofit providing free record sealing help through education, advocacy, and pro bono legal services, with a free sealing clinic program in the Denver metro area that has served more than 600 Coloradans since 2018. No phone is listed; contact them through the form on their website.
• Denver Courts Pro Se and Self-Help Centers. Denver's courthouse self-help centers for people without lawyers; the centers do not handle adult criminal cases, but the Juvenile Court center at 520 West Colfax Avenue helps with juvenile record expungement. Phone for the Juvenile Court center: 303-606-2849.

The DMV side of a DUI

A Colorado DUI arrest starts two separate cases: the criminal case in court and an administrative case over your driver license at the DMV. The DMV side runs on its own clock whether or not you pay attention to it.

The seven day deadline

• Colorado DMV, The DUI Administrative Process. The official page on the license side of a DUI, including the deadline that matters most: you must request a hearing within seven days of the arrest if you took a breath test or refused testing, or within seven days of receiving blood test results. Hearings are requested through mydmv.colorado.gov under Appointments and Hearings, and the page also covers reinstatement, ignition interlock, and SR-22 insurance.

The hearing itself

• Colorado Department of Revenue, Hearings Division. The independent division that conducts driver license hearings, with hearing request forms, Zoom help, and an FAQ covering what happens at a hearing, how to prepare, whether you need an attorney, and how to appeal a decision. The 303-205-5600 number on the page is support for the myDMV portal, not a hearings line.

Handling court logistics on your own

For the pieces around a criminal case, forms, bonds, fines, and finding your way through the courthouse, the state courts run free self-help services.

Statewide

• Colorado Judicial Branch, Self-Help Resources. The state courts' main self-help hub, with court information, forms, rules, and procedures for people representing themselves, organized into categories including bonds, appeals, and protection orders.
• Self-Represented Litigant Coordinators, called Sherlocks. A statewide directory of courthouse self-help coordinators by county who help unrepresented people navigate the court system and find the right forms, though they cannot give legal advice and their focus is non-criminal matters. Metro numbers on the page include 303-654-3213 for Adams and Broomfield counties and 720-772-2501 for Jefferson and Gilpin counties.
• Colorado Judicial Branch, Types of Bonds. The official explanation of the four bond types in Colorado courts: cash bonds, personal recognizance bonds, professional surety bonds through a licensed bondsman, and property bonds, plus how bond release works afterward. The judge decides which bond type is allowed in a given case.
• Colorado Judicial Online Payment System. The official portal to pay court fines, fees, costs, and restitution in Colorado state courts online, searchable by case number, ticket number, or name. Payments made after 4:00 PM are applied the next business day.

Denver metro courthouses

• Denver County Court. The official site for the court that handles Denver municipal criminal matters, traffic, state misdemeanor cases, and felony advisements. Through its public portal you can pay fines, post bond, and address an outstanding warrant online, and the site has case search, dockets, and a self-help center with in person and virtual assistance.
• 17th Judicial District Collections and Payments. How to pay state court fines and fees in Adams and Broomfield counties, online, by mail, or in person in Brighton or Broomfield. If you cannot pay in full on the day of sentencing, you can apply for a payment plan online or at either Court Collections Office; as of this writing a $25 annual processing fee applies to payment plans.
• Jefferson County Court Resource Center and Free Legal Clinics. The 1st Judicial District's resource center in Golden answers procedural questions, reviews completed forms, and keeps a list of discounted attorneys and free clinics. Its local phone clinics cover family, probate, and civil matters rather than criminal, but the page also hosts the statewide clinics flyer that includes the record sealing clinic. Phone: 720-772-2501.

After the case: reentry and the civil fallout

A criminal case does not end when the courtroom part ends. These resources help with what comes after.

Reentry support

• Remerg. A free online hub for reentry resources in Colorado: a searchable directory of more than 1,400 organizations across ten main topics, including housing, job training, parole offices, and crisis centers, searchable by topic or zip code. Phone: 303-993-3551.
• Second Chance Center. An Aurora based reentry nonprofit for formerly incarcerated people, offering counseling, substance misuse treatment, employment programs, and transitional housing, with half the staff formerly incarcerated themselves. Phone: 303-537-5838.

Civil legal aid for the fallout

• Colorado Legal Services. Colorado's statewide free legal aid provider for civil matters in every county. They cannot defend a criminal case or seal a record, but they can help with the civil fallout of an arrest or a record, such as eviction, public benefits, identification documents, garnishments, and protection orders. You may qualify based on income or if you are 60 or older; apply online through their site.

If you are a crime victim

Everything above is for people accused of crimes. If you are a crime victim looking for help, contact the Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance, which supports people impacted by crime with direct services, an emergency fund, and referrals to victim service providers. Phone: 303-861-1160.

If your situation changes

We practice criminal defense across Colorado. If your situation changes, or you simply want to talk through where your case stands and whether hiring a lawyer makes sense, reach out. The consultation is free, and we will give you an honest read either way.