Judge sets $1,000 bond for Broncos linebacker Jonathon Cooper in Douglas County case

Douglas County Judge Kelly Waidler set Jonathon Cooper’s bond at $1,000 on June 18, allowing the Denver Broncos linebacker to leave custody while his case continues in the 23rd Judicial District. The charges against Cooper, including second-degree felony assault and violation of a protective order, were folded into one district-court case, and he was released after posting bond.

Cooper’s case began with an arrest on June 4 after an alleged late-night domestic dispute at his Denver-area home. He was booked into Douglas County Jail early the next morning and was first released on a $1,000 personal recognizance bond. The initial filing included domestic-violence-related counts and criminal mischief between $300 and $1,000, and prosecutors later added second-degree assault by strangulation and third-degree assault.

At a June 8 appearance in Douglas County Court, Cooper entered a not-guilty plea before Judge Waidler, and a trial date was set for July 22. The court also ordered a stricter protection order that bars contact with his girlfriend and requires court approval before any out-of-state travel.

The proceedings are moving through the 23rd Judicial District, which was established on Jan. 14, 2025, and covers Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties. Douglas County Combined Courts in Castle Rock hold Saturday bond hearings at 2 p.m. The Broncos excused Cooper from mandatory minicamp after the arrests, but the next major step is the July 22 trial setting now on the local docket.