Laura N. Findorff

Judicial Assistant Info:

• Stephanie (719)-452-5244

Courtroom Info:

• Room S502 – Fifth floor of the South Tower

Docket Mix:

• District Criminal (CR), District Domestic Relations (DR)
• If the courthouse is closed due to weather or any other reason Division 12 will not be conducting hearings and parties are to call the next day to leave a message to be reset.

Ruling on Motions:

Unless deemed an emergency or coming up for a hearing, Judge Findorff works to rule on all pending motions within 35 days of being ripe, if not sooner. If a fully briefed motion is pending for more than 36 days, the parties may contact Division 12 to bring it to the attention of the division 12 judicial assistants.

Criminal

Please see attached Division 12 Case Management Order

Division 12 holds docket on Wednesdays

Domestic

As required by rule, meaningful conferral between parties is required before a disputed motion may be filed with the Court.  An unreturned voicemail or email is not meaningful conferral.  If it is not evident from a motion filed with the Court that meaningful conferral occurred prior to the motion being filed, the motion will be denied for that reason.

Domestic settings are held Tuesdays at 8:30 am, parties are to contact the division’s main line 719-452-5244. A notice to set must be filed at least 10 days prior to the setting date. The clerk will not give dates for any court proceedings without a prior notice absent a court order. All parties are expected to clear dates with any experts or witnesses prior to the setting. Mediation must be scheduled prior to a setting on all matters whether they are pre or post decree. The only exception is in emergency matters, which must be deemed an emergency by the Court not by the parties. At the setting the clerk will give two trial dates, one trailing date and one firm date. The parties must provide a certificate of completion of mediation prior to the trailing date. If not received, both the trailing and the firm dates will be vacated. A joint trial management certificate and a joint marital property spreadsheet needs to be filed at least 7 days prior to the trailing date. In all cases where both parties are represented and are requesting the Court to address the division of marital assets and debts, a joint marital property spreadsheet is to be filed no later than 7 days prior to the trailing date. The parties shall email an editable copy of their joint marital property spreadsheet to the division email inbox the same date that it is filed. Failure to comply with this order will likely result in the hearing being vacated. If a trial management certificate and joint marital spreadsheet is not filed timely, the Court will vacate both the trailing and firm date. If any party is requesting an extension for filing the JTMC a motion MUST be filed.

The parties cannot vacate the trailing date without also vacating the firm date absent an order of the court. It is the obligation of parties to contact the clerk two days prior to the trailing date to ask on status about the case and if case will be continued to firm date. NOTE: The clerk will not give updates on the trailing date if a JTMC has not been filed.

If both parties are unrepresented: the Court Clerk will conference both parties, give dates, and file the notice of the hearing. If either fails to answer the phone, they forfeit the opportunity to choose the dates and times for hearings.

If only one party is represented: the attorney’s office should call the Court Clerk, the Court Clerk will conference the unrepresented party, give dates, and the attorney will file notice of hearings. If either party fails to answer the phone, they forfeit the opportunity to choose the dates and times for hearings.

If both parties are represented: both parties should contact the Court Clerk and leave a message. The Court Clerk will then conference both parties. If parties fail to call the Court on the day of the setting, a new notice to set must be filed. Parties are only given the grace period of the day of setting to call, otherwise a DPO will be issued by the Court. 

ONLY ONE VOICEMAIL should be left with the Court. The Court Clerk will get back to the caller as soon as they are able.