How Colorado’s Mandatory Minimum Sentences Impact Drug Crime Defense
June 1, 2026
Domestic violence is an issue in Colorado, as it is in many other places. However, Colorado treats domestic violence crimes differently than you may find in other places. Since the state considers it not an independent crime, it is considered an aggravator of another crime.
It’s unfortunate that you cannot discuss domestic violence in the state without discussing child abuse. The two are linked since domestic violence is an issue that impacts the whole family unit. If there is violence [...]
A DUI conviction is devastating. It can be life-altering in many ways. That said, if you are arrested for a DUI with a child passenger, you’ll face a whole new level of ramifications.
You are not only subject to severe criminal and civil penalties of an underlying DUI, (an average cost of $13,000). You will likely incur the separate, and potentially much more severe charge of a child abuse. Under Colorado child abuse law, driving drunk with a child in [...]
Do you know what constitutes child abuse under Colorado laws? By looking at the statutes, you can gain a greater understanding of child abuse charges and associated penalties in our state.
The Legal Definition of Child Abuse in ColoradoA person commits child abuse by putting a child in a harmful or neglectful situation.
Colorado laws call acts such as these child abuse (others may also be included):
Only one drug felony level in Colorado carries a true mandatory prison sentence. The other three carry presumptive ranges where a judge still has discretion, meaning the defense strategy in a DF2, DF3, or DF4 case looks completely different from that in a DF1 case. At the Law Office of Jacob Martinez, our Denver drug crimes attorney has spent more than a decade in Denver courts, working to achieve better outcomes for clients facing felony drug charges.
Only One Drug[...]Yes. Dash cam footage from police vehicles and your own camera can be used to challenge DUI charges in Colorado. The question is not whether it is relevant but whether you know how to obtain it, how Colorado courts evaluate it, and what a defense attorney actually does with it. The Law Office of Jacob E. Martinez has defended DUI cases throughout Denver and surrounding Colorado courts for more than 15 years.
What Colorado Police Dash Cams Actually Record at[...]A deferred judgment and sentence allows a first-time offender in Colorado to plead guilty, complete a period of court supervision, and then have the guilty plea withdrawn and the charge dismissed permanently. For someone facing their first criminal charge, this is often the best available outcome.
At the Law Office of Jacob Martinez, our Denver criminal defense team has negotiated deferred judgment agreements in Colorado courts since 2014.
How a Deferred Judgment and Sentence Works in ColoradoThe defendant enters [...]