By H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer Introduction In many Colorado criminal cases – property belonging to the accused is seized and held as evidence. When the case is over the questions often asked are: can I get my property back and what is the procedure used to…
By H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Theft Crimes Criminal Defense Lawyer An Introduction to Understanding the “Theft by Colorado Contractors Law”- Section 38-22-127 A potential landmine that can lead to felony criminal theft charges for Colorado general and/or subcontractors lies in Colorado’s Construction Trust Fund Statute C.R.S. Section 38-22-127 (the Trust…
H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Juvenile Rights Criminal Defense Lawyer Introduction – Illegal Colorado School Searches An important decision by the Colorado Court of Appeals in 2021, In the Interest of C.C.-S, for the first time applied the protections of the exclusionary rule to violations of a juvenile’s constitutional rights that…
By H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer Introduction – Understanding the Role of Criminal Court Judges The confusing and sometimes frightening world of the criminal courtroom includes common misperceptions of the role and the power of the trial judge. One way to try to understand the role of a…
By H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer Introduction to Part 2 In Part 1 of this two-part series, the basics of a claim of ineffective assistance of counsel at the plea bargaining stage of a criminal case were explored. Part 2 delves into the more complex, and often difficult…
By H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer Introduction – A System of Negotiations, and Very Few Trials Black’s Law Dictionary defines a “plea bargain” as: [a] negotiated agreement between a prosecutor and a criminal defendant whereby the defendant pleads guilty to a lesser offense or to one of multiple…
By H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer Introduction – The Power to Add Charges and the Right to Due Process Tucked away in the Colorado Rules of Criminal Procedure is a small subsection of Rule 7. The section is Section (e) and it reads as follows: Crim P Rule…
By H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer Introduction – When Communications In Relationships Turn Criminal When individuals in relationships are either in the time frame immediately prior to a break-up or in the emotionally confusing time during the break-up itself, communications between the parties can sometimes become “complicated” and…
By H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer Introduction – A Massive ChangeTo Plea Bargains in the Colorado Criminal Justice System Quietly, with little fanfare, the Colorado Supreme Court, in the case of People of the State of Colorado, v. Christopher Anthony Mazzarelli, massively changed what was previously considered fundamental…
By H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer Introduction – Newly Discovered Evidence: Following a Plea Bargain One of the most troubling areas of Colorado criminal law is a situation where a Defendant, who is completely innocent or who may have a defense to a criminal charge, agrees to take…