Understanding Colorado’s Deferred Judgment and Sentence Options for First Offenders
May 1, 2026
In Colorado, we love our guns. Fortunately, our state is one of the most reasonable ones out there regarding gun laws. However, any weapons charges resulting from illegal possession or carrying of a firearm are still harshly prosecuted, so it is important to know the law.
Colorado is an open carry state, meaning that people here may carry a non-concealed firearm. However, there are a few important restrictions regarding what kind of firearms can be carried and by whom. Further, [...]
Common sense dictates that bringing a loaded gun into an airport on your person is not a good plan – and indeed, it is illegal. However, what if you are otherwise carrying a gun legally, and accidentally bring it into the airport?
This actually happened recently to a Colorado state representative. She brought a loaded gun in her handbag to a security checkpoint, which was detected in the X-ray machine. She was then arrested on suspicion of introducing a firearm [...]
On June 27, the United States Supreme Court concluded a historic gun rights case by upholding a federal ban on individuals who have been convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence from owning or purchasing firearms. The court voted 6-2 in favor of upholding the ban.
The case, Voisine vs. United States, involved two men from Maine: Stephen Voisine and William E. Armstrong III. Both men were petitioning for their right to own a firearm despite their past domestic violence convictions.
Stephen [...]
Microphones are being used to put a stop to gun crime.
Sounds like something out of science fiction, right? Or a ridiculous Saturday Night Live skit? But police in Denver allege that this powerful new technology, called the ShotSpotter, has helped them to catch two-thirds more gun crime after one year in use.
Not surprisingly, the Denver police department recently made the decision to renew and expand the Shotspotter program. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms provided funding for [...]
You may be able to carry a concealed weapon with a proper permit in Colorado, and you may be lawfully allowed to use recreational marijuana—but you can’t do both.
Advocates for gun rights in Colorado have been working on a proposed bill that would amend this statute, allowing lawful users of marijuana to obtain permits. According to a report from the Cortez Journal, proponents have been unable to collect the 98,492 signatures needed to place the initiative on the state [...]
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 [...]