Are Plea Bargains for Colorado Drug Crimes a Good Deal?

When someone is charged with a criminal offense on TV, the defendant usually goes to trial in a dramatic courtroom battle. However, while some cases do go to trial in the real-life criminal justice system, most defendants don’t ever end up in the midst of a courtroom battle.

This is because the vast majority of cases – over 90% – end in plea bargains. That means that fewer than 1 in 10 people facing either state or federal charges go [...]

Report Overdoses without Prosecution: Colorado’s Good Samaritan Law

In 2017, the number of drug overdose deaths in Colorado was the highest it has ever been – 959 people lost their lives to different controlled substances. Overdoses happen for many reasons, but in order to survive almost everyone needs the same thing – serious medical attention.

Unfortunately, the laws against drug use and the heavy punishments for drug crimes prevent many people from reaching out when they notice the signs of an overdose. In many cases, they don’t want [...]

Drug-Free Zones: What Coloradans Need to Know

Drug-free zone laws are a longstanding sentencing policy intended to increase criminal penalties for drug crimes committed near places where children are likely to be present. For example, near schools and parks. The first drug-free zone laws took effect in the 1970s, and they were ramped up as the “War on Drugs” really took hold during the Reagan presidency.

The principle of drug-free zone laws is pretty simple and straightforward: keep dangerous drugs and violence related to drug trafficking away [...]

Colorado Meth Ring Bust: What Those Arrested are Up Against    

On May 9, several law enforcement agencies collaborated to arrest 25 individuals for drug trafficking and to issue charges to 12 others in a huge methamphetamine drug bust. The drug ring was in operation as early as July 2015. Police arrested the alleged drug dealers in Colorado, Arizona, and California.

With a big bust like this one, there are almost always an array of charges involved. Below, we’re going to detail just a little bit about what those arrested will [...]

Pueblo Heroin Dealer’s Sentence Longer Than Prosecution Requested

Although Colorado has led the way in leniency towards recreational cannabis use, possession and trafficking of other controlled substances is still very much illegal. In fact, judges and prosecution often ask for the maximum possible penalty – and in some cases judges exceed what is recommended by prosecution.

That’s exactly what happened recently to a Pueblo man. Prosecution recommended that the defendant convicted of selling heroin on the streets be sentenced to 37 months in federal prison. However, Federal judge [...]