The work of mining, and its environment and conditions, were so different in different places, that the laws and customs of the miners had to vary even in adjoining districts.
"[2] Early forms of government in Colorado included a mining code, which comprised nine resolutions serving as general guidelines for miners.
This new code included the appointment of a sheriff, who was granted the authority to serve notices and executions, summon parties and jurors, and enforce court decisions regarding property possession.
Under this new law, an aggrieved person could file a complaint with any commissioned justice of the peace or, in their absence, with the president of the miners' association.
The complaint needed to include the grounds of the grievance, the names of the parties involved, and a request for them to be summoned to appear and respond.
The court's officers included a judge, a clerk, the sheriff of Arapahoe County and his deputies, and the officially admitted attorneys.
Persons causing nuisances affecting the health of the inhabitants could be sued by the district, with damages not exceeding one hundred dollars and costs.
It wasn't until the summer of 1850, over two years after the discovery of gold, that the new state courts were organized and ready to hear cases.
Although meetings as forums for dispute resolution are rarely mentioned in diaries and letters, newspaper articles and other reliable sources indicate they were very common.
Additionally, if a larger group of miners was unhappy with general rulings about camp boundaries or individual claim disputes, they posted notices in various locations calling for a meeting to discuss dividing the territory.