Getting arrested for DUI does not mean you will be convicted. Police misconduct, defective breathalyzers and crime lab mistakes may be enough to get your charges lessened or dismissed. Visit our page on Colorado DUI Laws to learn more.
Colorado DUI
Getting arrested for DUI does not mean you will be convicted. Police misconduct, defective breathalyzers and crime lab mistakes may be enough to get your charges lessened or dismissed. Visit our page on Colorado DUI Laws to learn more.
Colorado In-Depth
It is normal to be frightened and overwhelmed following an arrest. Therefore our lawyers are devoted to demystifying major topics in Colorado criminal defense law.
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The law in Colorado is unclear as to whether a convicted felon can legally hunt with a crossbow. A conservative reading of the applicable statutes is that felons in Colorado may not possess any weapons, including crossbows for hunting or non-hunting purposes.
But it also can be argued that crossbows fall outside the definition of prohibited weapons by convicted felons as long as the blade is less than 3.5 inches in length.
Crossbows consist of a “prod” that is mounted perpendicularly to a “tiller.” The weapon shoots projectiles called bolts or quarrels, which are similar to arrows.
Crossbows have a lock to hold back the bowstring, unlike bows and arrows, which require the user to manually pull back and hold the bowstring. So all crossbow users need to do to release the bowstring is depress a trigger similar to a gun’s.
People convicted of a felony crime may not possess prohibited weapons in Colorado. State law is unclear whether this includes crossbows.
The Colorado crime of possession of a weapon by a previous offender (“POWPO”) under C.R.S. 18-12-108 is generally a class 6 felony carrying:
But a POWPO offense may be punished more harshly if the defendant’s previous conviction was within the last 10 years and the conviction was for either:
In this case, a first-time POWPO conviction is a class 5 felony, carrying:
And a subsequent conviction is a class 4 felony, carrying:
Any type of gun will bring you into violation of C.R.S. 18-12-108 if you have a prior felony conviction.
The gun does not even need to be capable of actually discharging a bullet. Merely possessing a gun with a broken firing mechanism is enough to put you in violation of Colorado’s POWPO law.2
People need licenses from Colorado Parks and Wildlife to hunt lawfully in Colorado. Interestingly, this government agency does not run criminal background checks on applicants.
Therefore, felons may obtain hunting licenses. However, having a hunting license does not permit felons to possess prohibited weapons for hunting purposes.
In practice, many convicted felons press their luck and do hunt with weapons in Colorado. But they risk getting a POWPO conviction (explained above), which would add another felony to their criminal history.3
Convicted felons in Colorado may apply for a Governor’s Pardon to restore their weapons rights. However, pardons are typically available only to people who finished their criminal sentences at least ten years earlier. And even then, there is no guarantee that a pardon will be granted.
Qualifications for a Colorado governor’s pardon include:
Learn more about applying for a Colorado Governor’s Pardon.
Michael Becker has over a quarter-century's worth of experience as an attorney and more than 100 trials under his belt. He is a sought-after legal commentator and is licensed to practice law in Colorado, Nevada, California, and Florida.