When Denver Police Use Confidential Informants: How the Defense Challenges Reliability
September 12, 2026
Recently, in Jefferson County Court, domestic violence defense lawyer Jacob E. Martinez achieved dismissal of all charges in a case in which his client had been wrongfully accused of striking and choking his girlfriend. Though his client maintained his innocence throughout the process, for months the district attorney persisted in offering only a domestic violence conviction. Such a conviction would have had lifelong consequences for the client, such as a prohibition of his firearms rights, and the lasting stigma associated [...]
In Broomfield County, a client of Mr. Martinez’s was charged with Assault in the Third Degree, with a Domestic Violence enhancer. A conviction to this type of serious offense can have lifelong consequences, and a Domestic Violence enhancer only worsens those consequences. It is common for people with similar convictions to be denied jobs, residence, or other opportunities in life. However, in this case, Mr. Martinez secured an outcome enabling the client to avoid the black mark associated with an [...]
Recently, in Boulder County District Court, criminal defense lawyer Jacob E. Martinez achieved dismissal of all charges in a felony theft case in which the client was alleged to have stolen nearly $20,000 worth of property. Mr. Martinez exhaustively investigated and analyzed all financial data associated with the case, and presented his findings to the prosecutor. After considering Mr. Martinez’s analysis, the prosecutor agreed to dismiss the case in its entirety. Had the client been convicted of this offense, she [...]
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 [...]