by Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer – Attorney – H. Michael Steinberg Colorado lawyers who threaten to report a crime to the police unless they are paid money MAY BE violating the criminal and ethical laws of the state. This article addresses the ethical rules governing the conduct of lawyers and…
In March of this year (2012) the United States Supreme Court decided two cases that will change the face of plea bargaining forever. The First Case – Cooper In Lafler v. Cooper and Missouri v. Frye – are U. S. Supreme Court cases involving criminal defendants who claim that their convictions…
While state legislators in Colorado may change this law sometime in the future – the present state of the law does not permit the expungement of juvenile sex crime record if the juvenile has been adjudicated (convicted) of a Colorado sex crime – even a misdemeanor. When making the decision…
By H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer Colorado is one of several states that limit the use of restraints on pregnant women in custody or confined in prisons, municipal jails, county jails, juvenile detention, or Coloroado Department of Human Services Facilities. The staff of these institutions are NOT PERMITTED…
As an ex Career DA and now as a Colorado criminal defense lawyer, I have been aware for more than 42 years of a loophole in the criminal law of Colorado that actually created an incentive for drunk drivers to flee the scene of car accidents. That loophole has now…
Quietly – in the night – the Colorado State Legislature “ended” a crime that – as a prosecutor – I only prosecuted one time in 13 years. Criminal Libel. Colorado Repeal of Criminal Libel . Senate Bill 12-102, repeals the crime of criminal libel. The old law permited the charging…
By H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer To understand the Colorado “retreat to the wall” rule – you have to examine the case of Idrogo v. People decided by the Colorado Supreme Court in 1991: Here is the rule: “an innocent victim of an assault is not bound to…
Former Greeley police officer Daniel Shepherd was found not guilty by a Colorado jury on February 8, 2012. What makes this case so important – is that the jury looked at the “he said – she said” nature of the allegations – found both sides had lied or covered up…
A recent article in the Denver Post finally addresses the most recent attempts by Colorado Schools – hopefully to be followed by the Colorado State legislature – to reverse years of Zero-Tolerance policies in Colorado’s Public Schools and in the Courts. Last year in December – another excellent article in…
A new Colorado Law – helps Sex Offenders Understand the Requirements of Sex Offender Registration. The 2011 bill makes a number of modifications to the requirements for registering as a sex offender, including the following: • county sheriffs are required to submit registration information for individuals who are required to…