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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In Colorado, animal cruelty is treated as “aggravated” when you either
Forgetting to feed an animal for one day – or kicking an animal out of aggravation once – would qualify as regular animal cruelty, not aggravated.1
Scenarios that would qualify as aggravated animal cruelty in Colorado include:
In short, any knowing act of torture or mutilation is aggravated animal cruelty.
Aggravated animal cruelty is a Colorado felony carrying $1,000 to $100,000 in fines and/or a Colorado State Prison term. The length of the prison sentence depends on whether you have prior aggravated animal cruelty convictions.
A first-time offense is a class 6 felony, carrying a potential prison term of 1 to 1 ½ years (with 1 year of mandatory parole). Meanwhile, a a second or successive offense is a class 5 felony, with a potential prison term of 1 to 3 years in prison (with 2 years of mandatory parole).
If you are convicted of aggravated animal cruelty in Colorado, you are required to complete anger management treatment (or similar treatment programs). In addition, you are barred by court order from having pets for three to five years.
Note that if the animal was a certified police working dog or service animal, you will also be ordered to pay restitution for:
Non-aggravated animal cruelty is a class 1 misdemeanor for a first offense. The penalties include up to 364 days in jail and/or $500 to $1,000 in fines, and the judge has discretion to order anger management treatment.
A subsequent offense of non-aggravated animal cruelty is prosecuted the same as a first-offense of aggravated animal cruelty, except the court may impose probation instead of prison. However, probation would need to include at least 90 days in jail or home detention.2
A first-offense of aggravated animal cruelty under CRS 18-9-202 is a class 6 felony.
Five potential defenses that could get an aggravated animal abuse charge dismissed in Colorado include:
Alternatively, an aggravated animal abuse charge could be reduced to regular animal cruelty if the defense attorney can show that either:
Common evidence in animal cruelty cases include:
A former Los Angeles prosecutor, attorney Neil Shouse graduated with honors from UC Berkeley and Harvard Law School (and completed additional graduate studies at MIT). He has been featured on CNN, Good Morning America, Dr Phil, The Today Show and Court TV. Mr Shouse has been recognized by the National Trial Lawyers as one of the Top 100 Criminal and Top 100 Civil Attorneys.