How Plea Bargaining Works in Denver Criminal Court Cases
July 29, 2026
If you’re convicted of a sex crime, one of the consequences of that crime usually involves having to register as a sex offender. Every state, along with our federal government, has a sex offender registry, but one court has found that a sex offender registry is unconstitutional.
That court is right here in our state. A federal judge in Denver recently ruled that having to register as a sex offender violated the Eighth Amendment rights of three plaintiffs. More specifically, [...]
We often talk about different types of crimes in two categories: violent and non-violent. Violent crimes cause bodily harm to others (think assault or murder), and non-violent crimes typically involve white-collar crimes or indiscretions concerning money or property (theft, embezzlement, and so on).
While these are two types of common crimes, they do not cover all of the crimes that are defined under the laws of Colorado. In this post, we will describe a group of crimes that aren’t commonly [...]
Colorado has harsh sentences for sex crimes. As just one example, in the past offenders convicted for possessing underage pornography have received life sentences.
To put that in perspective, these are non-violent crimes that receive the same sentence as that given to people convicted of murder.
Obviously, these harsh sentences aren’t given to everyone convicted of every sex crime. But each sex crime conviction does come with a lifelong consequence: having to register on Colorado’s very public sex offender registry.[...]
Most criminal cases in Denver do not end with a jury verdict. They end with a decision: whether to accept a plea agreement, reject the offer, keep negotiating, or prepare for trial. That decision can shape your record, your freedom, your sentence, your probation terms, and your future long after the court date.
A plea bargain is not just “taking a deal.” It is a legal agreement that may involve reduced charges, dismissed counts, sentencing limits, probation terms, restitution, treatment [...]
A police crash report can make a serious collision look settled before the defense has examined the evidence. It may assign fault, estimate speed, describe the point of impact, and frame the driver’s conduct as reckless or impaired. In a Denver vehicular assault case, those early conclusions can influence charging decisions, plea negotiations, and how prosecutors present the case.
The problem is that a police report is not proof. Officers often prepare crash reports based on witness statements, final vehicle [...]
Assault charges in Colorado can range from a misdemeanor accusation after a physical confrontation to a serious felony carrying years in prison. The difference usually depends on the alleged intent, the level of injury, whether a weapon was involved, and whether the alleged victim falls into a protected category under Colorado law.
That distinction matters immediately. A misdemeanor assault case may still carry jail time, fines, a permanent criminal record, and collateral consequences for employment, housing, licensing, and your reputation. [...]