When Denver Police Use Confidential Informants: How the Defense Challenges Reliability
September 12, 2026
At the Law Office of Jacob Martinez, our Denver criminal defense attorneys understand that, despite legal cannabis in Colorado, marijuana DUI arrests are increasing. With over 17% of state police DUI arrests involving cannabis use, defending marijuana impairment cases demands careful legal strategy.
Colorado treats cannabis DUI as seriously as alcohol DUI, with strict legal limits and harsh penalties. We have secured numerous dismissals and not-guilty verdicts by thoroughly challenging the evidence and protecting clients’ rights. If you face marijuana [...]
If you are facing drugged driving charges in Colorado, certain defenses have a pretty good chance of working… while others really aren’t worth your time.
In this post we’re going to talk about common strategies people try with these types of cases, focusing on which ones are generally good and which ones just plain don’t work.
First, though, a bit about DUID charges.
Understanding Drugged Driving in ColoradoDriving under the influence of any drug is a serious crime in [...]
DUID is short for “driving under the influence of drugs.” Regardless of legalization laws, it is still a crime to operate a car under the influence of marijuana or any other drug that effects your ability to drive. This can also include prescription drugs.
Colorado Drugged Driving LawsThe Colorado Vehicle Traffic Code contains the laws that deal with drugged driving. Section 42-4-1301(1) states that:
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 [...]