How Colorado’s Mandatory Minimum Sentences Impact Drug Crime Defense
June 1, 2026
Recently, in a Jefferson County DUI case, Denver DUI attorney Mr. Martinez negotiated a resolution in which all alcohol-related driving charges were dismissed, and his client was able to enter a plea to Reckless Driving. Mr. Martinez’s client only lost his license for one month, he served no jail or probation, and he was not sentenced to any community service. Most importantly, he was able to avoid having the black mark of what would have been his second impaired driving [...]
Twice in the last year, Denver criminal defense attorney Jacob E. Martinez has had the opportunity and privilege to participate in a local school’s career day as a guest speaker. Strive Preparatory School is a charter school in Denver, serving high-performing yet under-privileged students. The school’s focus is on preparing its students for college while withstanding the unique challenges faced by those in a disadvantaged demographic.
Below is a photograph of Mr. Martinez speaking with students about his career choice [...]
In a Jefferson County DUI case, Denver DUI attorney Jacob E. Martinez achieved a Careless Driving disposition where the client had originally been charged with DUI. In this case, because the client had prior alcohol-related convictions, he was facing a guaranteed jail sentence. However, upon closely analyzing the case, Mr. Martinez identified a significant legal issue.
In Colorado DUI cases, though an individual does not need to be literally driving a vehicle at the time of police contact, they do [...]
In a Summit County DUI case, Denver DUI attorney Jacob E. Martinez successfully argued for the dismissal of the DMV revocation proceeding initiated against his client. In reviewing the documentation the DMV was relying upon in his client’s driver’s license revocation proceeding, Mr. Martinez noticed a discrepancy in the police paperwork. In Colorado, when a breathalyzer is the basis for the BAC result in a DUI case, the defendant needs to be continuously monitored by police for twenty minutes prior [...]
In Larimer County, a client of Mr. Martinez’s was charged with DUI, Minor in Possession of Alcohol, and a minor traffic infraction. After negotiation, Mr. Martinez was able to secure a disposition in which his client pled guilty to only Minor in Possession of Alcohol, and a plea to DWAI was deferred for a period of one year. This resolution will enable the client to avoid the black mark of an alcohol-related driving conviction. Further, the plea avoided the suspension [...]
Only one drug felony level in Colorado carries a true mandatory prison sentence. The other three carry presumptive ranges where a judge still has discretion, meaning the defense strategy in a DF2, DF3, or DF4 case looks completely different from that in a DF1 case. At the Law Office of Jacob Martinez, our Denver drug crimes attorney has spent more than a decade in Denver courts, working to achieve better outcomes for clients facing felony drug charges.
Only One Drug[...]Yes. Dash cam footage from police vehicles and your own camera can be used to challenge DUI charges in Colorado. The question is not whether it is relevant but whether you know how to obtain it, how Colorado courts evaluate it, and what a defense attorney actually does with it. The Law Office of Jacob E. Martinez has defended DUI cases throughout Denver and surrounding Colorado courts for more than 15 years.
What Colorado Police Dash Cams Actually Record at[...]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 [...]