When Denver Police Use Confidential Informants: How the Defense Challenges Reliability
September 12, 2026
Law enforcement officials, government agencies, and the general public acknowledge that domestic violence is a serious problem affecting women and men who are married or in a romantic relationship. However, domestic violence can occur between two people in any type of relationship—including those in gay and lesbian relationships.
Studies have found that domestic violence between gay and lesbian couples occurs at rates that are comparable to those of straight couples. Now that same-sex marriage has been legalized and the public [...]
Imagine you are in a fight with your spouse. Things get out of hand, and he or she threatens you with a knife. After unsuccessfully trying to defend yourself with words, you may feel you have no choice but to use physical force to prevent yourself from being injured or killed. You assume you are justified in your actions because you are acting in self-defense, so it comes as a nasty shock when police officers arrive on the scene and [...]
It’s common to hear that someone has been “charged” with domestic violence, and even those in the legal profession (this lawyer included) tend to use this shorthand to refer to a situation where someone has been accused of a crime where domestic violence is allegedly involved. However, if you are being accused of domestic violence, it is important to understand that there is no actual domestic violence charge in Denver or anywhere else in Colorado. When we say that people [...]
Domestic violence charges are some of the most serious accusations that a person can face. Because domestic violence charges are so severe, they are also some of the most complex—as are the accompanying protection orders that generally come with them.
In a domestic violence case, it is relatively common for the victim to serve the alleged abusive partner with a protection order. A domestic violence protection order, also known as a restraining order in Colorado, establishes certain parameters that will [...]
A confidential informant almost never speaks to the judge who signs the warrant. Instead, the judge reads a detective’s sworn summary of what an unnamed person allegedly said. That gap can become one of the most important issues in a Denver drug, weapons, theft, or other criminal case.
The defense does not cross-examine the informant when the warrant is issued. At that stage, the focus is on the affidavit itself: what the informant allegedly knew, how police verified the information, [...]
Colorado fentanyl possession charges can become serious felonies at relatively low weight thresholds. The law focuses on the weight of the material, compound, mixture, or preparation containing fentanyl rather than only the amount of pure fentanyl inside it. That means a small-looking quantity of powder or counterfeit pills can result in a much more serious charge once the substance is tested and weighed.
Weight is only part of the case. What the accused person knew, whether the state can prove [...]
Colorado COCCA charges are racketeering charges used when prosecutors claim a person participated in an enterprise through a pattern of criminal activity. These cases often grow out of drug, theft, burglary, fraud, identity theft, or financial investigations that are later reframed as organized conduct.
A COCCA count is not automatic just because several people were charged together or because prosecutors believe more than one crime occurred. The state must prove specific structural elements, including an enterprise and a pattern of [...]