How Plea Bargaining Works in Denver Criminal Court Cases
July 29, 2026
Right now, it’s hard to miss that it’s election season. Political signs are everywhere and in such a highly polarized political climate, the urge to do something to your neighbor’s political sign can feel overwhelming.
Take a deep breath!
While it’s not against the law to disagree with someone’s political views, it is against the law to tamper with someone else’s property. So if you mess with your Colorado neighbor’s political signs there could be legal ramifications.
In fact, getting [...]
The holidays are a time full of good tidings, joy, and laughter. Sometimes, these feelings of merriment come as a result of a good old-fashioned holiday prank. Unfortunately, these pranks can result in real trouble if someone believes you’ve taken your practical joke a bit too far.
Here in Colorado, it’s called criminal mischief, and knowing what that means could make the difference between spending the holidays feeling jolly…or in jail.
So how does Colorado law enforcement define criminal mischief?[...]
See if this sounds familiar: “If cops don’t have to worry about arresting people for marijuana, they can pay attention to crimes that actually matter.”
Most of us have heard numerous variations of this argument over the years, but until 2012, it was just theoretical. Then Colorado and Washington legalized recreational marijuana, and researchers and statisticians started chomping at the bit.
Well, a few weeks ago a study was published in Police Quarterly that seems to possibly validate those types [...]
The term “property crimes” may refer to a broad range of offenses relating to theft or destruction of property, from low-level misdemeanors to more serious felonies.
Under Colorado law, property crimes are penalized harshly, and consequences may become more serious when they involve harm or threat to other people. We’ve included a guide to seven of the most common types of property crimes below.
Arson. You can be charged with arson for intentionally starting a fire or using explosives to [...]
Most criminal cases in Denver do not end with a jury verdict. They end with a decision: whether to accept a plea agreement, reject the offer, keep negotiating, or prepare for trial. That decision can shape your record, your freedom, your sentence, your probation terms, and your future long after the court date.
A plea bargain is not just “taking a deal.” It is a legal agreement that may involve reduced charges, dismissed counts, sentencing limits, probation terms, restitution, treatment [...]
A police crash report can make a serious collision look settled before the defense has examined the evidence. It may assign fault, estimate speed, describe the point of impact, and frame the driver’s conduct as reckless or impaired. In a Denver vehicular assault case, those early conclusions can influence charging decisions, plea negotiations, and how prosecutors present the case.
The problem is that a police report is not proof. Officers often prepare crash reports based on witness statements, final vehicle [...]
Assault charges in Colorado can range from a misdemeanor accusation after a physical confrontation to a serious felony carrying years in prison. The difference usually depends on the alleged intent, the level of injury, whether a weapon was involved, and whether the alleged victim falls into a protected category under Colorado law.
That distinction matters immediately. A misdemeanor assault case may still carry jail time, fines, a permanent criminal record, and collateral consequences for employment, housing, licensing, and your reputation. [...]