When Denver Police Use Confidential Informants: How the Defense Challenges Reliability
September 12, 2026
As a parent, you want to give your child the best start in life possible. For many, that means setting your child up for future success. How some people have chosen to accomplish this is by opening up a credit card in their child’s name.
This may seem like a logical thing to do – and something you’re doing to help your child build credit but be warned that this isn’t advised. No matter your intentions, you should never put [...]
Identity theft is a serious offense that can have devastating consequences for its victims. Worse, our state is apparently rife with it.
How so?
A recent national report identified that Colorado is second in the nation for identity theft. This alarming statistic means that local law enforcement will like be even more on the lookout for identity theft than before. Although this is largely a good thing for Coloradans, it also means that some law enforcement officials and prosecutors will [...]
Identity theft is a growing problem as more and more information is transmitted through digital technology. In 2014, there was a new identity fraud victim every 2 seconds. In other words, in the time it took you to read this far, there have probably been another five or six victims.
State governments have responded to the growing internet crime rate with harsh penalties for people accused of identity theft. And in some cases, they may even be prosecuted as federal [...]
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 [...]