2016 Colorado Revised Statutes
Title 16 - Criminal Proceedings
Code of Criminal Procedure
Article 1 - General Provisions
§ 16-1-106. Electronic transmission of documents required for arrest and search warrants under code authorized - definitions

(1) Whenever a written application for a warrant is required, it shall include both a written application and a sworn or affirmed affidavit. A peace officer may submit an application and affidavit for a warrant and the court may issue the warrant by an electronically or electromagnetically transmitted facsimile or by an electronic transfer that may include an electronic signature. Whenever a sworn or affirmed affidavit is required, the court may orally administer the oath or affirmation to the affiant and the affiant may then electronically transmit back to the court a written affidavit of the oath or affirmation.

(2) Procedures governing application for and issuance of arrest or search warrants consistent with this section may be established by rule of the Colorado supreme court, which rule should require the court administrator to establish paper quality and durability standards for warrants issued pursuant to this section.

(3) (a) Any electronically or electromagnetically transmitted facsimile of a document authorized to be made by this section shall be treated as an original document.

(b) A warrant, signed affidavit, and accompanying documents may be transmitted by electronic facsimile transmission or by electronic transfer with electronic signatures to the judge, who may act upon the transmitted documents as if they were originals. A warrant affidavit may be sworn to or affirmed by administration of the oath over the telephone by the judge. The affidavit with electronic signature received by the judge or magistrate and the warrant approved by the judge or magistrate, signed with electronic signature, shall be deemed originals. The judge or magistrate shall facilitate the filing of the original affidavit and original warrant with the clerk of the court and shall take reasonable steps to prevent tampering with the affidavit and warrant. The issuing judge or magistrate shall also forward a copy of the warrant and affidavit, with electronic signatures, to the affiant. This subsection (3) does not authorize the court to issue warrants without having in its possession either a faxed copy of the signed affidavit and warrant or an electronic copy of the affidavit and warrant with electronic signatures.

(4) For purposes of this section:

(a) "Digital signature" means a document hash-encrypted with a private cryptographic key that can be used to authenticate the identity of the sender of a message or the signer of a document and can ensure that the original content of the message or document that has been sent is unchanged.

(b) "Digitized signature" means an electronic representation of an actual handwritten signature in which the image of a handwritten signature is created and saved using various methods, such as using a signature pad, scanning a handwritten signature, or digital photography. A digitized signature may be captured at the time the user applies the signature, or a previously saved image may be applied.

(c) "Electronic signature" means an electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to or logically associated with a document and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the document. An electronic signature may include, but is not limited to, a digitized signature or a digital signature.