WHAT SHOULD I DO IF THE POLICE WANT TO TALK TO ME? WHAT SHOULD I SAY?
Don't say anything. Anything you say will be used against you. If you have to open your mouth say:
A) I didn't do anything.
B) I want a lawyer!
WHAT IS YOUR SALES PITCH?
I don't have one. I am not going to tell you about what a "miracle worker I am," how many cases I've won or how I have never lost a Court of Appeals case. If you have a criminal law problem, or a DUI, you need some straight advice, not a sales pitch.
What I can tell you is I'm a good lawyer. I know when to fight, when to settle and when to run. If you have a criminal law problem, your life and liberty are in jeopardy.
Typically, if you call ten attorneys, most of them will tell you that your case is "good." That is because every case is a winner and every case is a loser. So the attorney is going to be optimistic. Besides, would you hire an attorney who said you had a bad case?
When you ask about the price or cost of your action, most lawyers will say "costs vary." It depends on whether the case goes to trial, or a plea agreement is reached with the district attorney and how much work the case takes. The sales pitch concludes with, "lets start off with a $1500 retainer. I will fight like a rabid pit bull for you. I am the lawyer the other side does not want you to hire, etc. etc. etc."
Of course, we both know what happens next.
You get the old "bait and switch." Suddenly, the attorney is saying that there are problems with the case. Suddenly, the attorney is saying this case will cost triple what he quoted. Suddenly, you start getting bills for another $1500, then another $1500 and so on. What happened here is you fell for a sales pitch and were told some very unrealistic expectations as to price, strategy and the odds of winning. At this point, please call me for advice.
COLORADO DUI and DWAI QUESTIONS
As of July 2010, then again in 2017, the Colorado Legislature enacted the harshest DUI law I have seen in 20 years. Basically, the Government thinks that if you don't see the inside of a jail cell, you won't learn your "lesson."
Why did the legislature change the law? Because the insurance companies paid the lobbyist who paid the politicians to "crack down on drunk drivers."
FIRST DUI: If your blood alcohol was over 0.08, you can do 5- 365 days in jail with a fine of $600 - $1000, 48-96 hours of useful public service, up to 2 years of probation and costs and surcharges of over a $1000! All that for your first DUI!
FIRST DUI and BAC OVER 0.20: If your blood alcohol level was over .20, guess what? More jail time! Now the Judge MUST put you in jail for 10-365 days. The new law indicates that the Judge must give you at least 10 days in jail. However, I can argue that your time should be spent on work release or in home detention with an ankle monitor.
FIRST DWAI: If your blood alcohol if over 0.05 - 0.08, you will be charged with driving while ability impaired. You will be imprisoned in the county jail for 2-180 days, fined $200-$500 dollars, put on probation for up to 2 years and required to perform 24-48 hours of useful community service. Costs and surcharges will be over $750.
FIRST DWAI and BAC OVER 0.20: Basically, the same punishment as a first DWAI but the jail is increased to 10-365 days. Very similar to First DUI with BAC over .20. I will ask the Judge to have your sentence served via work release or in home detention with an ankle monitor.
SECOND OFFENSE OF EITHER DUI OR DWAI WITH A PRIOR DUI, DWAI OR DRIVING UNDER RESTRAINT:
You must go to jail for 10-365 days. If the last offense was over five years ago, work release or in home detention with an ankle monitor may be authorized, but the Sheriff will not allow you to earn "good time" or "earned time" or "trustee status" credit. You have to do at least 10 days. The Sheriff may let you out to work, seek medical treatment or attend educational classes.
If the last offense was within five years, you cannot get in home detention. No ankle monitor and serving your sentence at home! You must do 10 days. The Sheriff may let you out to work, seek medical treatment or attend educational classes.
The fines are increased to $600-$1500 with costs and surcharges of over $1000. Useful public service increases to 48-120 hours.
As you can see, this new law is harsh! You'll do more time on a DUI then most felonies!
THIRD OR MORE OFFENSES OF EITHER DUI OR DWAI WITH A PRIOR DUI, DWAI OR DRIVING UNDER RESTRAINT:
Just call me. These are the types of cases that you just take to jury trial because the plea bargains are not satisfying. The new law states that the Judge MUST incarcerate you for 60-365 days. You must go to jail for at least 60 days, and around the metro area most Judges sentence five times the minimum! For the 60 day minimum, the Sheriff will not award you any good time, earned time or trustee status. The Judge will not allow you to serve your sentence at home with "in home detention" with an ankle monitor The Sheriff may let you out to work, seek medical treatment or attend educational classes.
Fines are $600-$1500 with 48-120 hours of useful public service. You can expect 2 years of probation with extensive alcohol classes and alcohol monitoring.
WHAT HAPPENED TO PLEADING A DUI TO A RECKLESS DRIVING?
While this was a common plea-bargain 10 years ago, reducing a DUI to a reckless driving has become rare because the Colorado legislature has closed the “loophole” which allowed us Defense Attorneys to get these great plea bargains. C.R.S. § 42-4-1301 (4) prohibits the Judge from accepting any non–alcohol related plea bargains, such as reducing a DUI to a Reckless driving or some other traffic ticket, unless the District Attorney stands up in court and admits to the Judge that a prima facie case cannot be established if the defendant was brought to trial. So basically, the District Attorney has to admit to the entire court room that he doesn’t have a case and the defendant was unjustly charged with DUI. This rarely happens because what District Attorney wants to make a fool of himself in open court?
IS DUI A STRICT LIABILITY CRIME?
Sadly, yes. C.R.S. § 42-4-1301 (3) states that DUI and DWAI are both strict liability. That means, if alcohol is found in your system and you are driving a car, you are automatically guilty no matter the circumstances. Therefore, you cannot claim that someone “put something in your drink,” or that you blacked out and had no idea what you are doing, through no fault of your own.
IF YOU HAVE THREE PRIOR DUI CONVICTIONS, CAN YOU BE CHARGED WITH A FELONY DUI?
Sadly, yes. In 2015, the Colorado legislature enacted a “three strikes, you are out!” DUI law which makes your fourth DUI a class IV felony if you have three prior DUI or DWAIs in your life. . C.R.S. § 42-4-1301 (1) (b). Sentencing shall be in accordance with C.R.S. § 18-1.3-401 (two to six years) but..... there exists a loophole to reduce one’s jail time. The Court must consider a defendant’s willingness to participate in alcohol treatment and the statute allows the defendant to argue the facts and circumstances of the charge and that rehabilitation is a better option than jail. Because of this, I have witnessed a wide range of sentences from 90 days to nine months. A few people have received a one-year sentence, and those have mainly been in Jefferson and Arapahoe counties.
WHY SHOULD I HIRE A LAWYER?
On any Criminal matter, call me immediately! I will do three things for you:
A) I will try to have your case dismissed, or take it to jury trial to prove your innocence.
B) If the evidence is against you, and I can't find a loophole or technicality we can exploit, I will mitigate your damages. That means "damage control." I will fight to get you the smallest punishment, best option, lowest sentence and fine possible.
C) I will make sure that you won't have to go through the criminal processes, and stand before a Judge, alone. I will be there to watch your back.
NO CASE IS HOPELESS. FIGHT EVERYTHING, TAKE EVERYTHING TO TRIAL. YOU ARE INNOCENT TO PROVEN GUILTY.
"The clever combatant imposes his will on the enemy, but does not allow the enemy's will to be imposed on him."
- Sun Tzu, The Art of War
I THINK I HAVE A WARRANT FOR MY ARREST. SHOULD I CALL THE POLICE AND ASK THEM?
You can always try. Most police stations will tell you to come down in person and request a warrant search. If there is a warrant for your arrest, they arrest you on the spot. Maybe you should call a lawyer first.....
DO YOU HANDLE SEXUAL ASSAULT CASES?
All the time. These are the most difficult cases because they need to be handled properly. At the beginning of the case, the client and the lawyer must choose a strategy...either fight -fight -fight or take a plea bargain and do damage control. These cases are very expensive and....well, I'll give it to you straight. It will ruin your life. You need a good lawyer who knows what he is doing.
There are no easy plea bargains with sexual assaults. The best deal you are going to get, short of a dismissal or dropping the charge to "harassment," is no jail, probation for over three years, registering as a sexual offender (probably for 10 years to life) and years of intense probation and sexual offender classes. If you win at trial, the case will be dismissed...but if you lose....you will get jail time. For a rape case, four years to life.
CAN I BE FIRED FROM MY JOB FOR SMOKING MARIJUANA?
Absolutely. Since 2009, several attorneys have tried to challenge this fact in the Colorado Court of Appeals arguing the Constitutional right to smoke marihuana for medical and recreational reasons. Unfortunately, they all lost. The Court of Appeals has ruled that employers may enforce a strict “zero tolerance” policy that you "consent" to because you agreed to work for the employer. So if your boss says he will fire you for any trace of alcohol, drugs or marijuana in your urine sample, he is telling you the truth and legally he can fire you on the spot. If you don’t like it, quit. He can also tell you not bring a gun to work, even with a permit. Remember, in Colorado employment is at will.
IN COLORADO, MAY I SMOKE MARIJUANA ON CRIMINAL PROBATION?
It is up to the Judge. The current State law states that you must have a medical marijuana card, and a medical reason to smoke. At sentencing, you must ask the Judge for permission to smoke medical marijuana while on probation. However, the Judge may deny your right to smoke if it "will interfere with your rehabilitation." What does that mean? If the Judge thinks you like to get high, he will deny your right to smoke ! So call me to represent you.
Lastly, any one on criminal probation has their constitutional rights curtailed. That is, you may not posses a gun, consume alcohol, violate any laws and consent to the probation department telling you what to do, whether that means classes and community service or working a job and being drug tested from time to time.
COLORADO DUI AND CRIMINAL SENTENCING RANGES
I am getting a lot of calls asking about DUI and criminal sentences. How much jail will I get? In my experience, criminal sentences depend on the county and the Judge. There is no “standard” sentence and they seem to be all over the place depending on how the Judge was feeling that day. - A mother of two children with her first DUI and a .15 BAC was sentenced in Denver to probation if she pled guilty to DWAI and a three-point weaving ticket.
- In Arapahoe County, the same fact pattern would result in a straight DWAI disposition without adding any extra points.
- A Denver prosecutor told me that a defendant will receive 30 days in jail for a BAC over .19, another 30 days if there was an accident, another 30 days if a child was involved, and another 30 days for any aggravation.
- On one case, a defendant was forced to accept a disposition in Denver of 10 days behind bars, 30 days work release, and 30 days in home detention for a second DUI within 10 years and a BAC of a .18.
- In Jefferson County, a first time DUI defendant with a .11 BAC took a disposition for DWAI, but had to agree to double the useful public service.
- In Denver, reckless driving usually requires a few days in jail. However, my client was able to avoid all jail if he agreed to pay over $500 in fines and costs. Another defendant pled guilty to reckless driving, paid $480 in fines and costs, and was sentenced to 52 hours of useful public service instead of jail.
