When Denver Police Use Confidential Informants: How the Defense Challenges Reliability
September 12, 2026
Driving Under the Influence (DUI) is taken very seriously by the state here in Denver. Conviction carries severe penalties that can have a substantial negative impact on your life, including heavy fines, license suspension, mandatory alcohol education programs, and even jail time.
However, with the right defense strategy based on the specifics of your situation, it is possible to challenge DUI charges and potentially reduce or even have them ultimately dismissed. This blog will explore some of the effective DUI [...]
Colorado sees a lot of car thefts in a year – and the numbers continue to climb.
This has led lawmakers to reconsider how car theft is penalized here. Currently, how much a car is worth will inform the penalty for the crime upon conviction.
However, lawmakers are now fighting to change the sentencing structure for this crime. They want to enhance the penalties related to car theft that don’t take the vehicle’s value into account. Their reasoning? This property [...]
Child custody in Colorado and around the United States is a complicated matter. If a domestic violence charge enters the picture against one parent, then that can make things even more complex. However, in every case involving child custody, the judge will overwhelmingly evaluate one factor: What is in the best interest of the child involved?
The truth is that any history of domestic violence or pending charges can make things a lot more difficult for the accused in a [...]
Violent crimes are some of the most harshly punished crimes in Colorado. However, sometimes the crime doesn’t even have to be fully completed in order for a person to be charged – the intent of the crime is often enough for a conviction, especially when it comes to attempting murder.
In Greeley, Colorado, a man wanted for attempted murder in El Paso County was recently spotted. He is on the run, and the public has been warned that he is [...]
If a police officer pulls you over for a traffic violation, they might ask to search your vehicle. You have the right to say no, which you can and should exercise, even when feel you have nothing to hide.
What about traveling on public transit, though? What are your rights in then?
Because public transit is paid for by tax dollars, it is considered public property. However, you still have the right to refuse a search of your person unless [...]
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 [...]