When Denver Police Use Confidential Informants: How the Defense Challenges Reliability
September 12, 2026
Domestic violence is a serious offense in Colorado, and the laws clearly outline what the justice system considers domestic violence.
While the definition of domestic violence may be clear in the state, the idea that someone was defending themselves against the abuse of another isn’t as clear. It’s common in domestic violence cases for the party being accused of domestic violence to say they were only acting in self-defense. However, anyone claiming self-defense can only argue it successfully in court [...]
Domestic violence in Colorado is not a crime in and of itself. It’s an aggravating factor or sentence enhancement in cases that involves offenses against those with whom a person is in an intimate relationship.
There’s a lot to understand about domestic violence in our state, and a lot of information to wade through. That may be why there are so many misconceptions about domestic violence in the state.
Here are a few of the facts about domestic violence charges [...]
Domestic violence is not an uncommon crime to be accused of in Colorado – and it can be complicated to understand.
Once the ball gets rolling on domestic violence charges in Colorado, they are difficult to stop. This makes it even more important to comprehend domestic violence charges and your rights if you’re accused of this crime.
Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about domestic violence in Colorado, including how it is defined, how it is charged, [...]
Domestic violence does not occur in a vacuum. Often, consequences reach anyone involved in domestic violence, from the perpetrator to the victim to any children in the household.
Certainly, criminal repercussions affect perpetrators of domestic violence, but how does domestic violence impact the children that witness the relationship?
Here’s what you need to know about domestic violence and how it may shape your children.
The Impact of Domestic Violence on ChildrenAn overwhelming number of children exposed to domestic violence [...]
Domestic violence crimes in Colorado occupy a unique space. That’s because domestic violence isn’t an independent crime in and of itself. Instead, it serves as a sentencing enhancement for other crimes.
Up to this point, it’s been asbent as an enhancement for certain crimes that seem like they should fall under domestic violence, such as child abuse.
House Bill 21-1099 seeks to change this. It would include child abuse in domestic violence laws in the state. Essentially, the bill strives [...]
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 [...]