Bindinglaw

CO · rules

Crim. P. 32.1

Death Penalty Sentencing Hearing

activein force · 2012-11-02 – presentact-effective-date

(a) Purpose and Scope. The purpose of this rule is to establish a uniform, expeditious

procedure for conducting death penalty sentencing hearings in accordance with section

18-1.3-1201, 6 C.R.S.

(b) Statement of Intention to Seek Death Penalty. In any class 1 felony case in

which the prosecution intends to seek the death penalty, the prosecuting attorney shall file

a written statement of that intention with the trial court no later than 63 days (9 weeks)

after arraignment and shall serve a copy of the statement on the defendant’s attorney of

record or the defendant if appearing pro se.

(c) Date of Sentencing Hearing. After a verdict of guilt to a class 1 felony, the trial

judge shall set a date for the sentencing hearing. The sentencing hearing shall be held as

soon as practicable following the trial.

(d) Discovery Procedures for Sentencing Hearing. The following discovery provisions shall apply to the death penalty sentencing hearing:

(1) Aggravating Factors. Not later than 21 days after the filing of the written

statement of intention required in subsection (b) of this rule, the prosecuting attorney shall

provide to the defendant, and file with the court a list of the aggravating factors enumerated

at section 18-1.3-1201(5), 6 C.R.S., and that the prosecuting attorney intends to prove at

the hearing.

(2) Prosecution Witnesses. Not later than 21 days after the filing of the written

statement of intention required in subsection (b) of this rule, the prosecuting attorney shall

provide to the defendant a list of the witnesses whom the prosecuting attorney may call at

the sentencing hearing and shall promptly furnish the defendant with written notification of

any such witnesses who subsequently become known or the materiality of whose testimony

subsequently becomes known. Along with the name of the witness, the prosecuting

attorney shall furnish the witness’ address and date of birth, the subject matter of the

witness’ testimony, and any written or recorded statement of that witness, including notes.

(3) Prosecution Books, Papers, Documents. Not later than 21 days after the filing of

the written statement of intention required in subsection (b) of this rule, the prosecuting

attorney shall provide to the defendant a list of the books, papers, documents, photographs,

or tangible objects, and access thereto, that the prosecuting attorney may introduce at the

sentencing hearing and shall promptly furnish the defendant written notification of additional such items as they become known.

(4) Prosecution Experts. As soon as practicable but not later than 63 days (9 weeks)

before trial, the prosecuting attorney shall provide to the defendant any reports, recorded

statements, and notes, including results of physical or mental examinations and scientific

tests, experiments, or comparisons, of any experts whom the prosecuting attorney intends

to call as a witness at the sentencing hearing and shall promptly furnish the defendant

additional such items as they become available.

(5) Material Favorable to the Accused. Not later than 21 days after the filing of the

written statement of intention required in subsection (b) of this rule, the prosecuting

attorney shall make available to the defendant any material or information within the

prosecuting attorney’s possession or control that would tend to mitigate or negate the

finding of any of the aggravating factors the prosecuting attorney intends to prove at the

sentencing hearing, and the prosecuting attorney shall promptly make available to the

defendant any such material or information that subsequently comes into the prosecuting

attorney’s possession or control.

(6) Prosecution’s Rebuttal Witnesses. Upon receipt of the information required by

subsection (7), the prosecuting attorney shall notify the defendant as soon as practicable

but not later than 14 days before trial of any additional witnesses whom the prosecuting

attorney intends to call in response to the defendant’s disclosures.

(7) Defendant’s Disclosure.

(A) Subject to constitutional limitations, the defendant shall provide the prosecuting

attorney with the following information and materials not later than 35 days before trial:

(I) A list of witnesses whom the defendant may call at the sentencing hearing. Along

with the name of the witness, the defendant shall furnish the witness’s address and date of

birth, the subject matter of the witness’s testimony, and any written or recorded statement

of that witness, including notes, that comprise substantial recitations of witness statements

and relate to the subject matter of the testimony;

(II) A list of the books, papers, documents, photographs, or tangible objects, and

access thereto, that the defendant may introduce at the sentencing hearing;

(III) Any reports, recorded statements, and notes of any expert whom the defendant

may call as a witness during the sentencing hearing, including results of physical or mental

examinations and scientific tests, experiments, or comparisons.

(B) Any material subject to this subsection (7) that the defendant believes contains

self-incriminating information that is privileged from disclosure to the prosecution prior to

the sentencing hearing shall be submitted by the defendant to the trial judge under seal no

later than 49 days before trial. The trial judge shall review any material submitted under

seal pursuant to this paragraph (B) to determine whether it is in fact privileged.

(I) Any material submitted under seal pursuant to this paragraph (B) that the judge

finds to be privileged from disclosure to the prosecution prior to the sentencing hearing

shall be provided forthwith to the prosecution if the defendant is convicted of a class 1

felony.

(II) If the trial judge finds any of the material submitted under seal pursuant to this

paragraph (B) to be not privileged from disclosure to the prosecution prior to the sentencing hearing, the trial judge shall notify the defense of its findings and allow the defense 7

days after such notification in which to seek a modification, review or stay of the court’s

order requiring disclosure.

(III) The trial judge may excise information it finds privileged from information it

finds not privileged in order to disclose as provided in (II) above.

(8) Regulation of Discovery and Sanctions. No party shall be permitted to rely at the

sentencing hearing upon any witness, material, or information that is subject to disclosure

pursuant to this rule until it has been disclosed to the opposing party. The trial court, upon

a showing of good cause, may grant an extension of time to comply with the requirements

of this rule. If it is brought to the attention of the court that a party has failed to comply

with this rule or with an order issued pursuant to this rule, the court may enter an order

against such party that the court deems just under the circumstances, and which is

consistent with constitutional limitations, including but not limited to an order to permit

the discovery or inspection of materials not previously disclosed, to grant a continuance, to

prohibit the offending party from introducing the information and materials, or impose

sanctions against the offending party.

History

Source: Entire rule adopted and effective September 1, 1995; (f) to (h) amended and effective January 14, 1999; (f)(6)(III) corrected, effective March 2, 1999; IP(f)(6) cor- rected, effective March 31, 1999; entire rule amended and adopted March 11, 2004, effective July 1, 2004; (b) and (d)(1) to (d)(7) amended and adopted December 14, 2011, effective July 1, 2012; (d)(7)(B)(I) corrected and effective November 2, 2012.

Provenance

Source
content.leg.colorado.gov
Retrieved
2026-09-15
Edition
2026-09-15
Content hash
e60ad20def337277a69df4f356986d66352f31b651c38d39eb004b5b2777971d
View the official source →

The link goes to the issuing authority’s own document — the one we read to produce this record. Where a source publishes whole titles rather than sections, your browser may need a moment to jump to the provision.

Unofficial copy of government-published law, reproduced from official sources with full provenance. Not an official publication; verify against official sources before relying on it in a filing. Records in the 'guidance' corpus, and only that corpus, are sub-regulatory (interpretive guidelines, survey procedures) and are not binding law. Validity bounds follow each jurisdiction's declared temporalBasis.

Coverage · API docs

Bindinglaw

Point-in-time US law with the receipt attached. Source URL, retrieval time, content hash, and validity dates on every answer.

curl api.binding.law/v1/law/coverage

© 2026 binding.law · a Jubal, Inc. productAttorneys and firms never pay. Ever.