Colorado Criminal Defense Attorneys
At DearLegal, we connect you with experienced Colorado criminal defense attorneys who understand the state’s six-class felony scheme, mandatory minimums for crimes of violence, and the broadened record-sealing pathway under the Clean Slate Act (HB 22-1326).
- Free to use — fees quoted upfront, before you commit
- Matched with a Colorado attorney in 24 hours
- 30,000+ plaintiffs served nationwide
Free Colorado criminal defense case review
A Colorado attorney will take a look. Or call 1-833-WELEGAL.
How we match your Colorado criminal defense case
When you submit a Colorado criminal defense matter, we route it through a national network of independent partner firms and put it in front of the one that fits best — based on the kind of case it is, what it is likely to involve, where it has to be handled, and who has capacity to take it on now.
Case type
A criminal defense matter needs someone who handles criminal defense work day to day, not a generalist. Practice area is the first filter.
Size and complexity
Some firms are built for catastrophic injury and multi-party litigation; others resolve straightforward claims quickly. We weigh what your matter is likely to involve against how each firm actually works.
Jurisdiction and licensing
Your matter is decided under Colorado law, so it goes to an attorney licensed in Colorado who regularly appears where your case would be heard.
Capacity and fit
Availability, conflicts of interest and language all matter. If the best-fit firm cannot take your case, we route it to the next one that can — or tell you plainly when no one in the network is the right answer.
Every partner reviews your case for free. Injury and workers’ compensation matters are handled on contingency — no fee unless you win. Other matters are quoted upfront, before you commit to anything.
DearLegal provides marketing and matching services and is not a law firm. Submitting a case does not create an attorney-client relationship. Matches depend on case type, jurisdiction and firm availability.
Exhibit A
What happens with a criminal defense claim in Colorado
Day 0
Arrest or charge.
Say nothing beyond identifying yourself and ask for a lawyer. Do not consent to searches. Everything after this is built on what you did not say.
Within 24 hours
Tell us what happened.
Two minutes on this page. A Colorado criminal defense attorney reviews it for free and, if it’s a fit, you’re matched within 24 hours.
Days 1–14
First appearance and bail.
Your attorney addresses release conditions and gets the charging documents. In Colorado, this is where the tone of the case is set.
Weeks to months
Discovery and motions.
Police reports, video, lab work, witness statements. Motions to suppress or dismiss are filed where the evidence was obtained improperly.
Before trial
Negotiation or trial.
Most cases resolve by dismissal or plea; some go to trial. Your attorney advises on the risk of each with the actual evidence in hand.
Resolution
Outcome and record.
Fees are quoted before you commit — hourly or a retainer, spelled out in writing at the free consultation.
Exhibit B
When to call a criminal defense attorney in Colorado
Does any of this sound like you? Tap what applies.
Exhibit C
Criminal Defense cases we take in Colorado
Which one is closest to yours?
DUI / DWAI / Felony DUI
Colorado DUI under C.R.S. § 42-4-1301 (.08 BAC) and unique DWAI (Driving While Ability Impaired, lower than DUI but still criminal). Felony DUI is fourth offense (Class 4 felony). Mandatory ignition interlock and Level II Education and Therapy. Express consent revocations run parallel to criminal case.
Sound like yours? A Colorado attorney reviews it free — fees are quoted upfront, before you commit.
Start my free reviewDrug possession and distribution
Colorado legalized recreational marijuana in 2012 (Amendment 64, C.R.S. § 18-18-406) — adults 21+ may possess up to 2 ounces (raised from 1 oz by HB 22-1287). Other controlled substances under C.R.S. § 18-18-403.5 — Colorado reclassified low-level possession of Schedule I/II drugs to a misdemeanor in 2019 (HB 19-1263, then HB 22-1326 made some auto-sealable).
Sound like yours? A Colorado attorney reviews it free — fees are quoted upfront, before you commit.
Start my free reviewAssault and menacing
Colorado assault: First-degree (C.R.S. § 18-3-202, Class 3 felony with crime-of-violence enhancement), Second-degree (Class 4 felony), Third-degree (Class 1 misdemeanor). Menacing (C.R.S. § 18-3-206) is misdemeanor unless with deadly weapon.
Sound like yours? A Colorado attorney reviews it free — fees are quoted upfront, before you commit.
Start my free reviewDomestic violence
Colorado DV is a designation under C.R.S. § 18-6-800.3 attached to qualifying underlying offenses involving intimate partners. Mandatory arrest under C.R.S. § 18-6-803.6 when officers find probable cause. Mandatory protection orders and DV treatment evaluation. Federal § 922(g)(9) firearm ban attaches.
Sound like yours? A Colorado attorney reviews it free — fees are quoted upfront, before you commit.
Start my free reviewTheft and shoplifting
Colorado consolidated theft statute (C.R.S. § 18-4-401, 2013) uses value tiers: Class 1 misdemeanor ($300–$1,000), Class 6 felony ($1,000–$2,000), Class 5 ($2,000–$5,000), Class 4 ($5,000–$20,000), Class 3 ($20,000–$100,000), Class 2 ($100,000–$1,000,000), Class 1 (over $1M).
Sound like yours? A Colorado attorney reviews it free — fees are quoted upfront, before you commit.
Start my free reviewWhite-collar crimes
Colorado prosecutes fraud, theft, securities violations, identity theft (C.R.S. § 18-5-902), and forgery through DA economic-crime units and the Colorado Attorney General. Federal exposure for wire fraud, mail fraud, and securities fraud — Denver hosts the SEC Regional Office.
Sound like yours? A Colorado attorney reviews it free — fees are quoted upfront, before you commit.
Start my free reviewGun and firearm charges
Colorado is not constitutional carry — concealed carry requires a permit (C.R.S. § 18-12-203). Red flag law (C.R.S. § 13-14.5-101, 2019) allows extreme risk protection orders. Large-capacity magazine ban over 15 rounds (C.R.S. § 18-12-302). Possession of weapons by previous offenders (C.R.S. § 18-12-108) is a Class 5 or 6 felony depending on prior.
Sound like yours? A Colorado attorney reviews it free — fees are quoted upfront, before you commit.
Start my free reviewSex offenses
Colorado Sex Offender Lifetime Supervision Act (C.R.S. § 18-1.3-1004) requires indeterminate sentences (10/20/life minimum to life maximum) for most felony sex offenses. Sex offender registration under C.R.S. § 16-22-101 et seq. — many offenses lifetime.
Sound like yours? A Colorado attorney reviews it free — fees are quoted upfront, before you commit.
Start my free reviewHomicide
Colorado homicide: First-degree Murder (C.R.S. § 18-3-102, Class 1 felony — life without parole; Colorado abolished the death penalty in 2020), Second-degree Murder (Class 2 felony), Manslaughter (Class 4 felony), Criminally Negligent Homicide (Class 5 felony), Vehicular Homicide (Class 3 felony if DUI).
Sound like yours? A Colorado attorney reviews it free — fees are quoted upfront, before you commit.
Start my free reviewJuvenile offenses
Colorado juveniles handled under C.R.S. § 19-2.5. Direct file is restricted; transfers require judicial findings on amenability. SB 19-108 raised the floor of juvenile court jurisdiction. Juvenile records expungeable under C.R.S. § 19-1-306.
Sound like yours? A Colorado attorney reviews it free — fees are quoted upfront, before you commit.
Start my free reviewProbation and parole violations
Colorado probation revocation under C.R.S. § 16-11-206. Technical violations addressed through Colorado’s graduated sanctions framework. Parole violations handled by the Parole Board under C.R.S. § 17-22.5-403.
Sound like yours? A Colorado attorney reviews it free — fees are quoted upfront, before you commit.
Start my free reviewFederal crimes in Colorado
Federal cases in the District of Colorado. Common: I-25 and I-70 drug trafficking, § 922(g) felon-in-possession, wire fraud, federal land offenses (Rocky Mountain National Park, federal forests), and Bureau of Indian Affairs jurisdiction on Ute lands.
Sound like yours? A Colorado attorney reviews it free — fees are quoted upfront, before you commit.
Start my free reviewExhibit D
How much do Colorado criminal defense attorneys cost?
Typical fee schedule
Colorado · Criminal Defense
Illustrative only. Your fee terms are set in a written agreement with your attorney and may include costs and expenses regardless of outcome.
Criminal Defense matters in Colorado are usually a flat fee per filing — quoted before you commit, not billed by the hour.
Criminal defense attorneys in Colorado work on hourly or flat-fee retainers — contingency fees are prohibited in criminal cases under Colo. RPC 1.5(d) and ABA Model Rule 1.5(d). Misdemeanors and most felonies are flat-fee; complex cases (homicide, sex offenses with lifetime supervision, federal, multi-count) use hourly billing with substantial retainers. The Colorado Office of the State Public Defender represents indigent defendants statewide and is regarded as one of the strongest PD offices in the country.
A good attorney walks through every number at your free consultation — before you sign anything.
Exhibit E
What your Colorado criminal defense compensation can include
A Colorado criminal defense recovery is built from several parts. Tap one to see what it covers.
Charge Dismissal
Outright dismissal through motion to suppress (Crim. P. 41), insufficient evidence (Crim. P. 29), speedy trial violation (C.R.S. § 18-1-405 — 6-month rule), or DA dismissal in furtherance of justice.
Charge Reduction
Reduction from felony to misdemeanor, higher-class felony to lower-class. Removing crime-of-violence designation or habitual criminal enhancement allegations.
Deferred Judgment / Deferred Prosecution
Deferred judgment under C.R.S. § 18-1.3-102 — guilty plea is entered but withdrawn upon successful completion of probation; deferred prosecution under C.R.S. § 18-1.3-101. Both allow for sealing under Clean Slate.
Plea Agreement
Negotiated resolution under Crim. P. 11. Includes charge reductions, dismissed counts, stipulated sentences, and probation in lieu of incarceration.
Trial Acquittal
Not guilty verdict by Colorado jury or judge. Colorado criminal juries must be unanimous (6 jurors for misdemeanors, 12 for felonies under Colo. Const. Art. II, § 23).
Post-Conviction Relief
Colorado Crim. P. 35 motions — 35(a) illegal sentence, 35(b) sentence reduction, 35(c) post-conviction (including IAC and newly discovered evidence). Strict timing rules.
DearLegal is a legal referral service, not a law firm. We connect individuals with licensed attorneys who can evaluate their case. Nothing on this page constitutes legal advice. Results vary based on individual circumstances.
Exhibit F
Colorado criminal defense questions, answered
Still unsure? Tell us what happened and a Colorado attorney will review it for free.
Criminal Defense attorneys by city in Colorado
Same Colorado rules and the same attorneys — with what’s local to each city.
