Colorado Has Some of the Toughest Domestic Violence Laws
Sep 6
2016

Posted by: Jacob E. Martinez

Category: Domestic Violence

In 1994, victim-advocacy groups told the state of Colorado that the current laws on domestic violence did not bring justice to victims. Colorado listened, and enacted some of the harshest domestic violence laws in the country.

The laws, which address everything from the process of arresting someone for domestic violence to mandatory sentencing, have proven to be tough on domestic violence offenders… but are they too tough?

Some criminal justice experts argue that Colorado’s laws are so harsh they end [...]

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A Guide to Colorado’s “Morality Crimes”
Aug 30
2016

Posted by: Jacob E. Martinez

Category: Sex Crimes | Sex Offender Registry

We often talk about different types of crimes in two categories: violent and non-violent. Violent crimes cause bodily harm to others (think assault or murder), and non-violent crimes typically involve white-collar crimes or indiscretions concerning money or property (theft, embezzlement, and so on).

While these are two types of common crimes, they do not cover all of the crimes that are defined under the laws of Colorado. In this post, we will describe a group of crimes that aren’t commonly [...]

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Another Short Sentence for Sexual Assault Makes National News
Aug 23
2016

Posted by: Jacob E. Martinez

Category: Sex Crimes

Only weeks after Brock Turner’s six-month sentence for sexual assault charges sparked outrage across the nation, another light sentence for sexual assault has made national news. This time, the offender was sentenced right here in Colorado.

Austin James Wilkerson, a former student at the University of Colorado, was arrested for sexually assaulting a former classmate while she was intoxicated. In May, he was convicted on one count of sexual assault of a helpless victim and one count of unlawful sexual [...]

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Exploring Colorado Drug Crimes: Beyond Marijuana
Aug 16
2016

Posted by: Jacob E. Martinez

Category: Drug Crimes

These days, when you read about drug crimes in Colorado, you’ve probably come to expect that they are concerning one drug in particular: marijuana.

Since the legalization of marijuana, Colorado has experienced decreases in some marijuana-related crimes, but also increased domestic trafficking and conflicts with neighboring states frustrated by the law.

But by focusing on marijuana, we may be ignoring other drugs in Colorado. The ones that are still completely illegal.

And the use of these drugs is quickly increasing [...]

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Violent Crimes Have Decreased in Colorado since Legalization
Aug 8
2016

Posted by: Jacob E. Martinez

Category: Drug Crimes | Marijuana | Violent Crimes

As one of the first states to legalize recreational marijuana, the country has been looking to Colorado to see what effect legalization would have on our crime rates, incarceration rates, and overall functioning as a state. Among the many studies and reports taken in the few short years since the legalization of marijuana, one in particular looks at the rate of violent crimes in Denver.

According to drugpolicy.org, Denver saw a 2.2% decrease in all violent crimes in the first [...]

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