H. Michael Steinberg has 42+ years of experience practicing Colorado criminal law. Mr. Steinberg strives to stay current with the ever changing aspects of criminal law issues and updates resulting in his extensive knowledge of successful criminal defense as well as appellate work. He is also an active member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar Association, the Colorado Trial Lawyer's Association, and the Colorado and Arapahoe Bar Associations.
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Why Is My Colorado Criminal Case Taking So Long?
By H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer

Introduction – Justice Delayed

You have not heard from your criminal defense lawyer for weeks …You might ask yourself  “Why is this case taking so damn long?”

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Colorado Harassment 18-9-111(2) as a Hate Crime
By H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer

Introduction – Harassment as a Hate Crime

In 2017 Colorado amended the crime of harassment by adding a “hate crime” section, which, upon conviction, enhances the penalty from a misdemeanor 3 to a misdemeanor 1 escalating the possible punishment of a maximum of six months to a maximum of 18 months.

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Colorado Courts Limit Authority of Bounty HuntersIntroduction – The Colorado Bounty Hunter

Every state, including Colorado, has legal authority over the execution of the bounty hunters that practice within the state. Some states, such as Colorado, poorly define or even fail to effectively regulate the authority and the extent of the bounty hunter’s professional “reach.”

Many of the states grant broad authority to bounty hunters – such as the gold standard of entering a fugitive’s private property without an arrest warrant to make an arrest of a fugitive.

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Colorado Assault Crimes - Serious Bodily Injury Under Colorado Law
By H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer

Introduction – Level of Injury In a Colorado Assault Case Critical Difference – Definitions Under Colorado Law Offer Little Clarity

A Colorado jury’s finding that a defendant caused serious bodily injury (as opposed to the lesser form of injury – bodily injury) in an assault prosecution under Colorado law (a fistfight for example), can mean a felony conviction with a possible – or in some cases such as First Degree Assault (F-3) a mandatory eight-year prison sentence.

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Research Examines Impact of Suspect Leaving the Scene of a Domestic Violence Incident By H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Domestic Violence Criminal Defense Lawyer

Introduction – Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Recent research has established a critically important, but sad, irony involving a suspect’s decision to leave or stay at the scene of a domestic violence case and wait for the arrival of the police.

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The “Dual Arrest” Problem in Colorado Domestic Violence Cases - the Terrible Impact
By H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer

Introduction – What Is A Dual Arrest in a Colorado Domestic Violence Case?

The term “dual arrest” means the police, in investigating a domestic violence case, means arresting both (or more than two) parties at the scene. This occurs most often in Colorado domestic violence cases where it is difficult to identify the “primary aggressor” (the person responsible for starting the altercation usually striking the first blow) and both parties have been injured.

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Refusing to Identify Yourself at a Serious Accident in Colorado - Means Hit and Run 42-4-1601 - 42-4-1603
By H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer

Introduction – Criminal Law

This is a complex area of criminal law. To understand your duty as a Colorado Driver involved in a serious car accident, a closer look at how the criminal law in this area is structured will help you to understand the dangers of making the wrong decision at the scene of a serious accident.

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Section of Colorado’s Deferred Judgement Law Impacts DAs Authority to Revoke 18-1.3-102(2)
H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer

Introduction – Looking for Laws to Defend Against Injustice

While I have written about Colorado’s Deferred Judgement laws before, it is a critical part of Colorado criminal law the impact of the “loss” of a deferred judgement can have long term consequences to the person involved.

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Colorado Crimes - Threats to Judges 18-8-615 and Prosecutors 18-8-616By H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer

There is a complex world of laws that create a somewhat hard to define line between the exercise of a person’s right to free speech in criticizing and making a credible threat made to that judge or prosecutor.

On one side of the line is a First Amendment-protected angry remark about how the judge or prosecutor handled a specific case. On the other side of the line lies serious Colorado felonies that punish so-called “unprotected speech.”

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Is an Offer to Take A Polygraph Admissible as Evidence at a Colorado Criminal Trial?By H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer

Introduction – The Polygraph Test

I have written about polygraphs in the past but it is a subject that comes up quite often – especially in cases where the evidence against my clients is somewhat weak.