Rule Text
(a) The felony complaint shall be a written statement of the essential facts constituting the offense charged, signed by the prosecutor and filed in the court having jurisdiction over the offense charged.
(b) Repealed.
Amendment history: Amended and adopted September 4, 1997, effective January 1, 1998; (a) amended and adopted November 22, 2006, effective January 1, 2007.
Plain-English Summary (for reference only — not a substitute for the rule text above)
This summary is not the rule. The rule text controls.
If you're charged with a felony in Colorado, the case starts with a document called a felony complaint. This is a written statement that lays out the basic facts about what you're accused of doing. It has to explain the offense clearly enough that you understand what crime you're being charged with.
The prosecutor (the government lawyer handling the case) must sign this document. It then gets filed with the court that has authority to handle felony cases. This complaint is the formal starting point of a felony criminal case, and it puts you on notice of what charges you're facing.