Understanding Colorado’s Deferred Judgment and Sentence Options for First Offenders
May 1, 2026
Many people in Colorado are given prescription medication to treat a variety of conditions. When you have a valid prescription for a medication, then that means you have the legal right to possess it in the state.
However, while you have the right to keep certain medications on your person as you go about your day, having a valid prescription doesn’t make it legal to share your medications with anyone else – even a friend or family member you’re simply [...]
Prescription drugs are very helpful for people suffering from chronic health issues or pain. Unfortunately, these medications can also be used by some for recreation, leading to addiction and abuse.
The opioid epidemic in this country rages on and on – and with it, prescription drug fraud. Prescription drug fraud is a serious drug charge that can lead to severe consequences. Read on to understand what it is and what penalties can be faced in Colorado if you are convicted [...]
The abuse of prescription drugs is an emerging epidemic that’s now recognized as a significant threat to public health. The death toll from prescription drug abuse is huge, and even includes a number of celebrities, like Prince, Tom Petty, and Anna Nicole Smith.
As the number of deaths from prescription drugs continues to rise sharply across the US, the federal government has commissioned various agencies to combat the prescription drug epidemic. Many states, including Colorado, augment the federal government’s efforts [...]
A deferred judgment and sentence allows a first-time offender in Colorado to plead guilty, complete a period of court supervision, and then have the guilty plea withdrawn and the charge dismissed permanently. For someone facing their first criminal charge, this is often the best available outcome.
At the Law Office of Jacob Martinez, our Denver criminal defense team has negotiated deferred judgment agreements in Colorado courts since 2014.
How a Deferred Judgment and Sentence Works in ColoradoThe defendant enters [...]
Eyewitness testimony is undeniably a powerful form of evidence in criminal cases. However, there have been studies showing it is also one of the leading causes of wrongful convictions in Denver and across the United States. This suggests that human memory is not perfect and that some situations can lead to errors in identification.
In Denver, cases involving eyewitness misidentification span a wide range of crimes. You must defend against wrongful convictions, which requires a detailed review of the circumstances [...]
Violating a Colorado protection order can trigger a new criminal charge and contempt proceedings in the same court, and any new sentence must be served back-to-back with the sentence you were already facing, not at the same time. That means a single phone call, text message, or chance encounter can double your exposure while you are still on bond or probation. Denver criminal defense attorneys at the Law Office of Jacob Martinez have defended clients against these charges across Colorado [...]