In Colorado, people can face criminal harassment charges under CRS 18-9-111 for a wide variety of behaviors. And depending on the case, the penalties for violating harassment laws can include fines and possibly jail. Here are three things to know about the Colorado harassment statute: Harassment is a very broad criminal charge. Harassment is different …
Under Colorado Revised Statute 18-7-102, promotion of obscenity to a minor is a class 6 felony sex crime. A conviction requires registration as a sex offender as well as: 1 year to 18 months in state prison (plus 1 year of parole); and/or $1,000 to $100,000 in fines.1 However, it may be possible to get …
Following a hit-and-run incident, Colorado prosecutors can bring criminal charges against the suspect within 1 year in most cases, 3 years if serious injury results, 5 years if death results, and 10 years in vehicular homicide cases. Meanwhile, hit-and-run victims can bring a civil lawsuit within 3 years after the accident. The criminal statute of …
Since Colorado is a one party consent state, people may lawfully record conversations in their workplace if at least one party to the conversation freely consents to being recorded. If the person doing the recording is part of the conversation, then no one else’s consent is needed because the recorder has his/her own consent.1 If …
Colorado’s criminal impersonation laws (C.R.S. 18-5-113) by knowingly assuming a false identity while doing either of the following five things: signing a recordable legal document and with intent to pass it off as true; posting bail for someone; marrying (or pretending to marry) another person who is ignorant of the false impersonation; doing anything may …
In Colorado, the statute of limitations (or time limit) for prosecutors to file theft charges is three years for felony theft ($2,000 or more), 18 months for misdemeanor theft ($300 to less than $2,000), and six months for petty theft (less than $300). Also, the statute of limitations begins running only after the theft is …
If you are under 18 years old and get arrested for drug possession in Colorado, you will be prosecuted in Juvenile Court. Instead of facing criminal convictions like adults would, you instead face delinquency proceedings. The majority of juvie drug cases resolve through a plea bargain, though you have the right to a trial – …
Auto theft in Colorado is prosecuted as motor vehicle theft (CRS 18-4-409). Currently, Colorado has the third highest rate of auto thefts in the nation.1 Plus, many counties have law enforcement task forces in partnership with the Colorado State Patrol to catch and prevent organized auto theft crimes.2 What if I get caught stealing a …
Parental kidnapping – also called custodial interference – is a Colorado felony that carries up to six years in prison. Parental kidnapping occurs when either: you take or entice a minor child away from their lawful custodian knowing you have no privilege to do so; or you violate a child custody order with the intent …
It is a crime to urinate in public in Colorado. Colorado’s law against public indecency (CRS 18-7-301) makes it illegal to knowingly expose your genitals to someone else in a way that is “likely to cause affront or alarm.” This includes public urination. A petty offense, peeing in public carries up to 10 days in jail …
In Colorado, you can be charged with DUI as a class 4 felony in the following two situations: You already have three or more prior convictions of DUI, DUI per se, or DWAI; or You caused an accident in which someone was seriously injured. 1. Fourth-time DUIs Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs …
In Colorado, a first-time DUI carries 48 to 96 hours of community service, and any subsequent DUI conviction carries 48 to 120 hours of community service. The legal term for community service is “useful public service” (UPS). Is community service required for every Colorado DUI? Community service is a required sentencing term for every non-felony …
In Colorado, you can file a speedy trial motion asking the court to dismiss your criminal case for failing to give you a trial within six months of your not guilty plea. Unless a legal exception justifies your trial’s delay, the court should dismiss your charges no matter how strong the state’s evidence against you …
Colorado’s red flag law allows a person’s family and household members to ask the court for an extreme risk protection order” (ERPO) prohibiting that person from having a gun. The purpose of ERPOs is to prevent people who are exhibiting a high risk of hurting themselves or others from possessing firearms. 1. What is an …
Before people can lawfully buy a firearm in Colorado, they must pass a Colorado Bureau of Investigations (C.B.I.) background check. The process includes filling out an application and waiting about twenty minutes for approval (or a rejection). Then starting on October 1, 2023, there is a three-day waiting period (“cooling off” period) before the seller …
Colorado DMV points never disappear, but the DMV stops counting them against you once two years have passed. In short, DMV points older than 24 months cannot be used to suspend or revoke your driver’s license in Colorado.1 What shows up on my driving record? A Colorado driving record shows the last seven years of …
1. Most criminal history records get sealed automatically Prior to 2023, you needed to file a petition to seal your Colorado arrest records and criminal conviction records. Now it happens automatically as long as you pick up no new criminal cases. The waiting period before your record gets automatically sealed depends on the case. Colorado …
The terms “expunging” and “sealing” are often used interchangeably because both processes lead to the same result: Your criminal record no longer coming up on background checks. However, expunging is technically different from sealing. When a criminal record gets expunged in Colorado, it is physically destroyed. There is no trace of the record left for …
1. You must stop after a car accident If you are driving in Denver, Colorado and have a collision with another vehicle, bicyclist, pedestrian, or property (such as a mailbox or gate), you have the following five duties: Stop and park your car as quickly and nearby as you safely can. If anyone is injured, …
The Colorado Rules of Criminal Procedure (a.k.a. “Crim. P.”) outline the regulations that judges, prosecutors, and defense lawyers are required to follow in Colorado’s 22 district courts. The Crim. P. was amended as recently as November of 2022. What follows is a summary of each section: I. Scope, Purpose, and Construction Rule 1. Scope The …
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has not recently conducted any large-scale raids in Denver, Colorado, on the scale of what occurred in 2019. During one operation that year, ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) officers apprehended 63 non-citizens.1 Though even though ICE is not arresting immigrants on the scale it used to, all removable …
If you have been arrested for DUI in Colorado, your criminal defense attorney can request a DMV hearing. This is where your attorney would try to persuade the DMV not to revoke your driver’s license. If you do not have an attorney, you can request a DMV hearing yourself by taking the following steps. Step …
Follow these steps to obtain a marijuana growers’ license in Colorado. Step 1: Research Before anything, educate yourself on the latest marijuana laws and business regulations at the Marijuana Enforcement Division (MED) website. You are also strongly advised to consult with an experienced attorney on your options and obligations as a commercial marijuana grower. Step …
A 3rd DUI in Colorado is a misdemeanor rather than a felony so long as you do not cause an accident resulting in serious bodily injury or death. But a 4th-time DUI can be charged as a felony. The standard DUI penalties for a 3rd-offense are: 60 days to 1 year of county jail time, …
Colorado has three statutes that make driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs a felony crime. These three felony DUI offenses are: CRS 42-4-1301 – Fourth-time DUI CRS 18-3-205 – DUI causing serious injury CRS 18-3-106 – DUI causing death First-, second-, and third DUI convictions are prosecuted as misdemeanors as long as there are …
