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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CRS 18-9-111(1)(e) is the Colorado law that defines cyberbullying as intentionally harassing someone over the phone, text message, or social media sites. Colorado’s cyberbullying statute section is named Kiana Arellano’s Law after the teenage cyberbullying victim who was driven to a suicide attempt in 2013.
Specifically, CRS 18-9-111(1)(e) states that a person commits cyberbullying if:
with intent to harass, annoy, or alarm another person, he or she [d]irectly or indirectly initiates communication with a person or directs language toward another person, anonymously or otherwise, by telephone, telephone network, data network, text message, instant message, computer, computer network, computer system, or other interactive electronic medium in a manner intended to harass or threaten bodily injury or property damage, or makes any comment, request, suggestion, or proposal by telephone, computer, computer network, computer system, or other interactive electronic medium that is obscene[.]
Colorado law defines obscene under CRS 18-9-111(1.5) as:
[A] patently offensive description of ultimate sexual acts or solicitation to commit ultimate sexual acts, whether or not said ultimate sexual acts are normal or perverted, actual or simulated, including masturbation, cunnilingus, fellatio, anilingus, or excretory functions.
Violating cyberbullying laws is usually a class 2 misdemeanor in Colorado. The punishment is:
But cyberbullying becomes a class 1 misdemeanor if the bully intended to harass or intimidate the victim due to his/her actual or perceived:
A class 1 misdemeanor sentence include:
The most effective ways to fight cyberbullying criminal charges turn on the unique facts of the case. Five common defenses under state law include:
Typical evidence in these cases includes the devices the bullying messages were sent on, screenshots of the messages, voicemails, and eyewitness accounts. Criminal defense attorneys may even call on forensic specialists in order to trace the true source of the bullying messages.
Many cyberbullying cases involve middle school and high school students. Alleged bullies younger than an 18-year-old are usually prosecuted in juvenile court instead of adult criminal court. If the defendant is found delinquent, the judge can order such penalties as:
Note that juvenile records do not automatically disappear when the defendant reaches adulthood. The defendant needs to petition for a juvenile records expungement. And there may be a mandatory waiting period depending on how the case resolved.
Call our law firm for help.
We are based in Denver but provide representation throughout the state, including Boulder, Golden, and more. We defend against every kind of crime in the Colorado Revised Statutes (C.R.S.).
Also see our related articles on cyberstalking, harassment laws (CRS 18-9-111), and defamation.
Prior to March 1, 2022, cyber harassment was a class 3 misdemeanor. The penalties were a maximum of 6 months in jail and a fine of up to $750. And cyber-bullying based on being part of a protected class carried a maximum of 18 months in jail and a fine of up to $5,000. SB21-271.
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.