How Colorado’s Mandatory Minimum Sentences Impact Drug Crime Defense
June 1, 2026
Colorado has its share of violent crimes, and some counties see quite a bit more than others. Not surprisingly, law enforcement officials tend to police “known” violent areas more closely. But how do you know where the most violence occurs in our state?
Using the data collection site, Graphiq, we produced a map from violent crime reports in 2013, the most recent FBI statistics available.
The statistics from the FBI include a number of crimes under these terms. Violent crime, [...]
When you hear “crimes against the government,” it may call to mind high-level federal crimes like espionage and terrorism. Because the American government is large and powerful, it may seem very difficult for one individual to commit a crime that directly affects the government in any meaningful way.
The truth is that crimes against the government do include terrorism and espionage, but also cover much lesser crimes that occur on a state level, like resisting arrest or perjury. All charges [...]
Few experiences are more isolating than being charged with a crime.
After being arrested and charged with a criminal offense, you may find that your friends, coworkers, and colleagues pull away, and strangers who hear about the incident interact with you differently. You may lose your job and find it difficult to secure another one due to employers’ reluctance to trust you or potentially place other staff members in harm’s way. Close family members may want to help you, but [...]
You know the drill. “Everything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.”
Even if you’ve never been arrested, you’ve probably heard the Miranda rights in movies or TV shows. But your words aren’t the only thing that can be used to incriminate you. Your searches, emails, accounts, and other activity onlin could be uncovered and used against you as well.
Under US law, certain government agencies, administrative agencies, and courts are allowed to [...]
Up until recently, Massachusetts, California, New Jersey, New York, and North Carolina were the only states that allowed criminal suspects to search victims’ homes in order to strengthen their defense. Now, thanks to a recent ruling, Colorado will join this list.
In a Colorado appeals court last month, judges ruled that a defendant should be able to return to a crime scene if he is able to demonstrate that the search would produce evidence that is “relevant, material, and necessary [...]
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 [...]