Colorado Drug Diversion Programs: Avoiding Conviction Through Treatment
December 1, 2025
Last month, the city of Denver hosted its first free legal clinic designed to help Coloradans with old drug convictions to have their records expunged according to new legislation.
In 2017 (three years after Amendment 64 was passed, and one year after it went into effect), additional legislation was passed in an effort to offer some reparative justice to those previously convicted of low-level drug crimes that would be considered legal under current law.
If you currently have an old [...]
If you are seeking employment, a new apartment or home, or if you need to get a loan, there’s a very high likelihood that the people in charge of deciding whether or not you’ll get what you want are going to do a background check on you.
Why should you care?
Because background checks contain all kinds of important information about you. Personal information. Employment information. Financial information.
They also bring up your criminal record.
No big deal, though, right? [...]
Do you want your criminal record to follow you around for the rest of your life? Be accessed by the public? Ruin your chances of a normal professional and personal life?
If your answer to these questions is no, then you should contact an experienced Colorado criminal defense attorney to find out if your criminal record is eligible to be sealed or expunged. Not every record qualifies, but it’s worth pursuing so you might finally be able to put [...]
Everyone makes mistakes. Especially when we’re young, figuring out who we are and learning about the world. What no one wants is the mistakes of their wayward youth to follow them around when they become adults.
That’s why a bill that Governor John Hickenlooper signed in May is so important.
Co-sponsored by state Representative Pete Lee, D-Colorado Springs, and state Senator John Cooke, R-Weld County, the bill makes it easier for juveniles to have their criminal records expunged for certain [...]
Having a charge or conviction your record doesn’t go away after you serve your time – or even if you are found innocent. In fact, even if you weren’t charged with a crime, if you were arrested that stays on your record.
This means that employers, landlords, and the public at large will all have access to it, which can make it quite difficult to live a normal life. Luckily, many people have the option of getting their criminal records [...]
Colorado’s justice system has expanded treatment-focused alternatives for individuals charged with lower-level drug offenses. Many of these opportunities can reshape the direction of a case before it reaches a courtroom. Across Colorado, diversion initiatives differ by county and by the supervising court. Their common purpose is to provide structured support for people whose circumstances are tied to addiction or misuse.
For Denver residents, the Law Office of Jacob Martinez regularly helps clients pursue these options. A drug defense attorney can [...]
Mental health conditions can intersect with criminal justice in complex ways, requiring nuanced handling. In Denver, urban stressors can exacerbate these challenges, making it essential to understand how mental health affects criminal cases.
Consulting a Denver criminal defense lawyer at the Law Office of Jacob Martinez early ensures these factors are addressed properly, potentially leading to treatment-focused resolutions instead of punitive measures.
How Mental Health Influences Criminal BehaviorMental health disorders can shape behavior in ways that lead to criminal [...]
A confession is one of the most powerful pieces of evidence in any criminal case. Denver law enforcement officers are trained to use strategic questioning and behavioral tactics to elicit statements. While many interrogations follow lawful standards, some cross the line into coercion. Once a confession is recorded, prosecutors may rely heavily on it, regardless of whether the statement was obtained fairly or accurately reflects the truth.
At the Law Office of Jacob Martinez, our criminal defense team understands how [...]