Archives for: December 17th, 2018

Are Plea Bargains for Colorado Drug Crimes a Good Deal?
Dec 17
2018

Posted by: Jacob E. Martinez

Category: Drug Crimes

When someone is charged with a criminal offense on TV, the defendant usually goes to trial in a dramatic courtroom battle. However, while some cases do go to trial in the real-life criminal justice system, most defendants don’t ever end up in the midst of a courtroom battle.

This is because the vast majority of cases – over 90% – end in plea bargains. That means that fewer than 1 in 10 people facing either state or federal charges go [...]

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Colorado Marijuana Public Display and Consumption Charges Rise
Apr 27
2015

Posted by: Jacob E. Martinez

Category: Drug Crimes

Criminal justice in Colorado has undergone some drastic changes since the state legalized the recreational use and sale of marijuana in 2012.

According to a report from the Drug Policy Alliance, the number of marijuana charges for possession, distribution, and cultivation fell by 95 percent between 2010 and 2014. Possession charges dropped from 30,428 in 2010 to 1,922 in 2014, while distribution and cultivation charges have become nearly nonexistent.

However, though possession, distribution, and cultivation charges have dropped, there has [...]

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Will Governor’s Focus on Painkiller Abuse Lead to More DUIDs in Colorado?
Apr 1
2015

Posted by: Jacob E. Martinez

Category: Drug Crimes | DUI

It is no secret that all eyes have been on Colorado for its recent legalization of recreational marijuana use. Some have claimed that the problems associated with marijuana have gotten worse, while others say that things are demonstrably better now. But while the majority of people focus on this issue, behind the scenes Coloradoans have been grappling with a much more dangerous problem: the recreational—and illegal—use of painkillers.

Recently, Colorado governor John Hickenlooper announced a campaign to end this illegal [...]

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Juvenile Marijuana Crimes on the Rise
Mar 16
2015

Posted by: Jacob E. Martinez

Category: Drug Crimes | Marijuana

In the past few years, Colorado has been receiving a lot of national media attention for becoming the first state to legalize recreational marijuana use. Despite the fact that plenty of popular news outlets have been playing up this new legislation and pointing out its positive aspects, the legalization of marijuana has not been without negative side effects.

According to the Durango Herald, Colorado schools saw a record number of drug use violations in the months following marijuana legalization. [...]

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Does Lawsuit Mean Colorado’s Recreational Pot Is in Danger?
Jan 6
2015

Posted by: Jacob E. Martinez

Category: Drug Crimes | Marijuana

Here’s a situation that has happened far too frequently since our state legalized the recreational use of marijuana: A pot “tourist” drives here from a nearby state to partake of Colorado’s recently relaxed laws. While in our state, they sample the wares, enjoy using them, and decide to bring home a few souvenirs.

As they drive home with their legally purchased marijuana, they engage in a minor traffic violation and a police officer pulls them over. Since they weren’t worried [...]

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