Understanding Colorado’s Deferred Judgment and Sentence Options for First Offenders
May 1, 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 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first-time offender in Colorado to plead guilty, complete a period of court supervision, and then have the guilty plea withdrawn and the charge dismissed permanently.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 [...]
Eyewitness testimony is undeniably a powerful form of evidence in criminal cases. However, there have been studies showing it is also one of the leading causes of wrongful convictions in Denver and across the United States. This suggests that human memory is not perfect and that some situations can lead to errors in identification.
In Denver, cases involving eyewitness misidentification span a wide range of crimes. You must defend against wrongful convictions, which requires a detailed review of the circumstances [...]
Violating a Colorado protection order can trigger a new criminal charge and contempt proceedings in the same court, and any new sentence must be served back-to-back with the sentence you were already facing, not at the same time. That means a single phone call, text message, or chance encounter can double your exposure while you are still on bond or probation. Denver criminal defense attorneys at the Law Office of Jacob Martinez have defended clients against these charges across Colorado [...]