“Domestic Violence Harassment” in Colorado – Law & Penalties

• Roommates,
• Co-workers, or
• Platonic friends²

2. What are the penalties?

Harassment in public while directing obscenities to or at the victim is a petty offense carrying up to 10 days in jail and/or up to $300 in fines. Meanwhile, it is a class 1 misdemeanor carrying up to 364 days in jail and/or up to $1,000 in fines to follow a person in public or unlawfully touch someone. Otherwise, harassment is a class 2 misdemeanor carrying up to 120 days in jail and/or up to $750 in fines.³

See our related article, What class of crime is domestic violence in Colorado?

2.1. Repeat DV offenders

Defendants convicted of four DV-related crimes face prosecution for a separate offense: Being a habitual domestic violence offender. This is a class 5 felony, carrying:

• 1 to 3 years in Colorado State Prison (with mandatory 2-year parole), and/or
• A fine of $1,000 to $100,000

This sentence is in addition to any underlying DV penalties the judge imposed.⁴

3. Are there common defenses to the charge?

Three common defenses to DV harassment charges include showing that:

1. No harassment occurred;
2. The defendant had no intent to harass, annoy, or alarm another; and/or
3. The defendant was falsely accused.

3.1. No harassment occurred

What qualifies as harassment can be subjective. What seems annoying to one person may be endearing to another. Typical evidence in these cases include:

• Video recordings;
• Eyewitness accounts; and/or
• Voicemails, emails, or text messages

If the defense attorney can show the defendant’s behavior falls short of harassment, then the case should be dropped.

3.2. The defendant had no intent to harass, annoy, or alarm another

18-9-111 C.R.S. is an intent crime. Harassing behavior is not criminal if the defendant had no intent to harass.

It is often difficult for the D.A. to prove the defendant’s intent. State of mind is invisible, and prosecutors must rely on inferences. As long as the state has insufficient evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, charges should not stand.

3.3. The defendant was falsely accused

It is not uncommon for lovers or ex-lovers to hurl false accusations at each other. Sometimes the accusers are acting out of anger, revenge, or a misunderstanding. Sometimes they even fabricate false evidence — such as bullying emails or texts — to bolster their story.

In these cases, the defense attorney would try to show that the accuser has motives to lie. If the prosecutor can see the accuser’s credibility is questionable, the harassment charges may be dropped.

4. Are gun rights affected?

It depends on the case.

Federal law prohibits people convicted of domestic violence to possess firearms. But Colorado’s definition of harassment is broader than the federal definition. Therefore, some defendants convicted of DV harassment may still be allowed to keep their guns.

Note that defendants may need to give up their guns while there is a protection order against them. Violating a protection order (18-6-803.5 C.R.S.) is a misdemeanor.⁵

5. Can the criminal record be sealed?

Colorado convictions for DV harassment may never be sealed with one exception. If the case was in municipal court, the conviction may be sealed. But the defendant has to wait up to three years after the case ends. And during this waiting period, the defendant cannot pick up any new criminal cases.

Meanwhile, any DV harassment case that gets dismissed is sealable right away. It makes no difference which court the case was in.⁶

Learn about how to get a Colorado criminal record seal.

6. What are the immigration consequences?

Domestic violence is potentially deportable.⁷ Consequently, non-citizens facing DV harassment charges should retain experienced counsel immediately.

The attorney may be able to get the charge dismissed. Alternatively, the attorney may be able to persuade the prosecutor to reduce the offense to a non-removable crime.

Learn more about the criminal defense of immigrants in Colorado.

Call a Colorado criminal defense attorney…

Accused of domestic violence harassment? We invite you to contact our Denver domestic violence lawyers. Just fill out the form on this page or call us at our convenient Denver home office:

Colorado Legal Defense Group
4047 Tejon Street
Denver CO 80211
(303) 222-0330

In California? See our articles on Annoying Phone Calls (653m PC) and Cyber-harassment (653.2 PC).

In Nevada? See our article on Harassment (NRS 200.571).

Legal References