1. Colorado Has 33 Reciprocal States Colorado has concealed carry reciprocity with 33 other states. This means if you have a current and valid CHP (concealed handgun permit) from Colorado, you can lawfully carry a concealed handgun in the other 33 states. Likewise, if you have a current and valid CHP from one of these …
If you are accused of violating your DUI probation in Colorado, you can have a probation violation hearing (also called a “revocation hearing”). This is where the court determines whether you indeed violated court orders and, if so, whether to give you a second chance to stay on probation. Below, I discuss DUI probation in …
Walking with open containers of alcohol is usually illegal throughout Colorado. However, local governments may license and regulate common consumption areas called “entertainment districts.” Within an entertainment district, you may walk with open alcohol containers and not have to dump them when leaving a particular bar or tavern. Though once you leave the boundaries of …
The penalties for driving without a license in Colorado (42-2-101 C.R.S.) depend on whether you simply forgot to carry the license, never had one, or had the wrong one. You Forgot To Carry Your License Driving in Colorado without your driver’s license with you is a class B traffic infraction, carrying $15 to $100 in …
Refusing to take a breath or blood test following a Colorado DUI arrest triggers a mandatory one-year driver’s license revocation. To contest this revocation, you have only seven days after the refusal to request an “Express Consent” DMV hearing. If you have a prior refusal on your record, then the DMV will revoke your license …
You can legally own a submachine gun (SMG) in Colorado if (1) you lawfully obtain an “NFA tax stamp” from the ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives), and (2) the SMG was manufactured prior to May 19, 1986. Getting an NFA tax stamp requires you to pay $200 and complete – and have …
Colorado DWAI of marijuana charges are typically brought when both: marijuana impaired your driving “in the slightest degree” but not to a “substantial” degree, and your THC levels were below 5 ng/mL. DWAI stands for “driving while ability impaired,” which is a less serious Colorado charge than DUI, which stands for “driving under the influence.” …
If you pick up a Colorado underage drinking and driving (UDD) case – which is where you drive with a BAC of 0.02% to 0.05% while younger than 21 years old – the length of your license revocation increases with each successive conviction. You will receive a 3-month revocation for a first conviction, a 6-month …
Colorado gun law requires you to safely store your firearms to prevent access by minors under 18 years old or by people prohibited from having guns. Safe storage can be accomplished by carrying the gun, putting it in a locked safe, installing a locking device on it, or having a personalized firearm. Failing to safely …
Assault and menacing are related but different crimes in Colorado. Assault is causing physical injury to someone, such as by punching. By contrast, menacing is putting a person in fear of imminent serious bodily injury or death, such as by holding up a fist to a person’s face. Other examples of assault versus menacing in …
Hit and run of a parked or unoccupied vehicle in Colorado is a class 2 traffic misdemeanor. Under CRS 42-4-1701 (3)(a)(II)(A), the penalties include 10 to 90 days in jail and/or fines of $150 to $300. 1. What is hit and run in Colorado? Like it sounds, hit and run is leaving the scene of the …
In Colorado, animal cruelty is prosecuted as “aggravated” when you either knowingly torture an animal, or needlessly mutilate or kill an animal. 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 Examples of aggravated animal cruelty Scenarios that …
If you are arrested in Jefferson County, Colorado, you may be put on pretrial services upon your release on bail or your own recognizance. The Jefferson County Pretrial Services Program monitors your compliance while your criminal case is pending to make sure you are following your release conditions. Pretrial Services is open Monday through Friday …
DUI – short for “driving under the influence” – is a more serious Colorado crime than DWAI – short for “driving while ability impaired.” DUI is driving while “substantially” impaired by drugs and/or alcohol OR with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of at least .08%. Driving with a .08%+ BAC is per se illegal, even …
Colorado is a member of the interstate compact – formally called the Interstate Compact for Adult Offender Supervision – which regulates if and how you can have your probation or parole transferred between states. If you move to or from Colorado in violation of the interstate compact, you face being remanded to jail or prison. …
It depends. Speeding (CRS 42-4-1101) less than 25 miles per hour over the speed limit is usually just a class A traffic infraction in Colorado, which carries no jail. Instead, you face penalties of: fines, surcharges, and Colorado DMV points on your driver’s license However, speeding 25 miles per hour or more than the speed limit …
The 5 most common ways to get a felony charge dropped are (1) to show a lack of probable cause, (2) to demonstrate a violation of your constitutional rights, (3) to accept a plea agreement, (4) to cooperate with law enforcement in another case, or (5) to enter a pretrial diversion program. An experienced criminal …
An intent to commit a crime can be proven with either direct evidence or with circumstantial evidence. Proving that a criminal defendant intended to commit a crime is often one of the most important parts of a case. It has to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. This is even more difficult for specific intent, …
Whether it is legal to shoot a BB gun in Colorado depends on the specific location. Refer to the local county or municipal code for guidance on whether shooting BB guns is legal. Populated cities Discharging BB guns is usually illegal in Colorado’s populated cities, such as: Aurora Boulder Colorado Springs Denver Fort Collins Longmont …
If you are facing felony or misdemeanor charges that carry jail time in Denver, the court will appoint you a deputy public defender if you cannot afford private counsel. Ultimately, the court has jurisdiction to decide whether you are indigent and, therefore, entitled to court-appointed counsel. In general, you are probably eligible for a public defender …
Denver’s Pretrial Services program helps criminal court judges to determine whether a particular defendant is safe to be released on bail pending the trial and on what conditions. If the defendant does get released, Pretrial Services may supervise the defendant’s whereabouts and sobriety during this “pretrial” period. Eligibility for supervised pretrial release Defendants arrested in …
Section 18-6.5-103(2) sets forth the consequences of crimes against people 70 and older in Colorado. The penalties you face for Colorado elder abuse vary depending on: the nature of the underlying crime, whether the crime was committed in the heat of sudden passion, whether the wrongful act was committed knowingly, whether you were in a position …
An express consent affidavit and notice of revocation is a document notifying you, after a Colorado DUI arrest, that your driving privileges will be revoked in seven days. This document also serves as a seven-day driving permit. Once you receive this express consent affidavit and notice of revocation, you have seven days to request a …
Colorado law permits adults 21 years of age and older to possess up to two ounces (2 oz.) of marijuana for personal use. However, state drug laws prohibit people from possessing or consuming marijuana in public.1 Therefore, if you purchase marijuana from a dispensary, be sure to take it home as soon as possible and …
The juvenile arraignment process in Denver is where minors get officially charged with a crime in Denver Juvenile Court. It is substantially different from the arraignment process for adults. Many juvenile cases do not go through the arraignment process. These cases get resolved informally, instead. What is arraignment? An arraignment is a court hearing. It …
