Broomfield Domestic Violence Lawyer
A domestic violence arrest in Broomfield does not give you a pause button. Within hours, you may have a mandatory protection order keeping you from your home, your children, and your belongings. The criminal case is just the beginning. Reid DeChant, Broomfield domestic violence lawyer at DeChant Law, has defended these cases from the inside out, first as a public defender in Broomfield and Adams County, then in private practice. That background matters because domestic violence cases in Colorado follow a different set of rules than most criminal charges, and the gap between what actually happened and what gets charged can be enormous.
Why Domestic Violence Charges in Broomfield Move Fast and Carry Extra Weight
Colorado law treats domestic violence not as a standalone charge but as a sentence enhancer attached to an underlying offense. A third-degree assault, a harassment charge, a criminal mischief case where a door was kicked in: any of these can become a domestic violence case if the alleged victim has or had an intimate relationship with the defendant. That label changes everything.
Broomfield County, which operates its own combined city and county government, handles these cases in the Broomfield Combined Courts. Law enforcement in Broomfield follows mandatory arrest policies, meaning an officer who responds to a domestic disturbance call and finds probable cause has no discretion. Someone is going to jail. And once a mandatory protection order is issued, it cannot be waived by the alleged victim. Only a judge can modify or lift it.
This is where cases get complicated for defendants who believe the situation will sort itself out. The alleged victim calling the DA’s office to say they want charges dropped does not make the case go away. Prosecutors can and regularly do proceed without the cooperation of the alleged victim, using 911 recordings, officer observations, photographs, and prior call history to build a case independently. An experienced domestic violence defense attorney understands how prosecutors in Broomfield and Broomfield County approach these files, and what it takes to respond effectively.
What the Domestic Violence Label Actually Does to a Case
Beyond the criminal case itself, a domestic violence designation triggers consequences that run in parallel and sometimes outlast the prosecution. Federal law prohibits anyone convicted of a domestic violence offense from possessing firearms. That is not a Colorado rule, it is federal, and it applies regardless of whether the underlying charge was a misdemeanor. For law enforcement officers, military personnel, or anyone who hunts, this consequence alone can reshape a career.
Protection orders issued in Broomfield domestic violence cases can affect child custody immediately. Even before any conviction, a parent may be restricted from seeing their children depending on how the order is written. Immigration consequences for non-citizens are serious. A domestic violence conviction can trigger removal proceedings and bar certain immigration benefits entirely.
Deferred judgments, which are sometimes viewed as favorable outcomes in other criminal contexts, do not fully protect against these collateral consequences in domestic violence cases. Understanding what you are agreeing to before accepting any plea requires a defense attorney who has worked through these cases repeatedly and knows where the hidden costs live.
How These Cases Are Actually Defended
Domestic violence defense is not a single strategy. It depends entirely on the facts, the relationship history, the evidence law enforcement gathered at the scene, and what witnesses are willing to say. Some cases turn on whether the initial stop or entry was lawful. Others depend on credibility. In some situations, the alleged victim’s account shifts over time, and tracking those inconsistencies carefully matters. In others, there is evidence that the defendant was the one acting in self-defense.
Reid’s training at the Trial Lawyers College shaped how he approaches these cases. It starts with the client’s story, not as a set of facts to manage but as something that deserves to be fully understood and honestly told. Jurors and judges are perceptive. A defense built on genuine understanding of what actually happened, told with clarity and conviction, performs better than one built on technicalities alone.
That said, technicalities matter too. Broomfield police and Colorado State Patrol officers who respond to domestic calls must follow specific procedures. How a 911 call is handled, whether advisements were given correctly, how evidence was documented and preserved: all of these create opportunities for a defense attorney who knows where to look. Reid has obtained dismissals and not guilty verdicts in domestic violence cases across Broomfield, Adams County, and Denver by doing exactly that kind of detailed review.
When a case does not have a strong path to trial, the work shifts to negotiation. Prosecutors have discretion on charging decisions, and a defense attorney who understands how to present mitigating context, challenge the strength of the evidence, and communicate effectively with the DA’s office can sometimes achieve a reduction or dismissal that would not happen without that advocacy.
Questions People Ask About Broomfield Domestic Violence Cases
Can the alleged victim drop the charges?
Not directly. In Colorado, charges are filed by the state, not the alleged victim. The alleged victim can communicate to the prosecutor that they do not want to cooperate or do not believe charges are warranted, and that position can influence how the case proceeds. But prosecutors in Broomfield County have the authority to move forward regardless. An attorney can help communicate the full picture to the DA’s office in a way that actually gets considered.
What happens to the protection order while the case is pending?
A mandatory protection order is issued at the time of arrest and remains in effect until the case is resolved, unless a judge modifies it. Violating the order, even if the alleged victim initiates contact, results in a separate criminal charge. The order can be challenged at hearings, and there are sometimes grounds to request modifications that allow limited contact or return to a shared residence.
Will a domestic violence conviction show on a background check?
Yes. Unlike some Colorado offenses that can be sealed, domestic violence convictions carry significant restrictions on record sealing eligibility. This is one of the core reasons fighting the charge from the beginning matters. A conviction on a domestic violence case, even at the misdemeanor level, can follow a person for years in background checks for employment, housing, and licensing.
What if the incident involved property damage and no physical contact?
Criminal mischief is one of the most common underlying charges in domestic violence cases. Breaking a phone, punching a wall, damaging a car: these qualify as domestic violence offenses when the alleged victim is an intimate partner. The same mandatory arrest and protection order rules apply. And the same federal firearms prohibition attaches to a conviction.
How does a domestic violence charge affect a custody case?
Colorado family courts are required to consider domestic violence findings when making parenting decisions. A pending criminal charge does not automatically determine custody, but a protection order or a conviction creates a factual record that family court judges take seriously. Managing both the criminal case and the family law implications at the same time requires coordinated attention to both proceedings.
Is a deferred sentence a good outcome in a domestic violence case?
It depends on what the deferred sentence covers. Some deferred judgments resolve the criminal case without a conviction on the record, which is meaningful. But in domestic violence matters, even a deferred adjudication may still trigger federal firearms restrictions and immigration consequences depending on how the plea is structured. The details of what you plead to and under what code section matter enormously.
What courts handle domestic violence cases in Broomfield?
The Broomfield Combined Courts handle both misdemeanor and felony domestic violence matters arising within Broomfield. Depending on where the incident occurred and how the case is charged, it may also be filed in Adams County District Court. Reid has practiced in both of these courts and understands how they operate and how cases move through them.
Talk to a Domestic Violence Defense Attorney in Broomfield
DeChant Law handles domestic violence defense throughout Broomfield, Adams County, Denver, and surrounding communities. Reid’s background as a former public defender in Broomfield means he has been inside these courtrooms and these cases from a different vantage point, and he brings that experience to every client he represents now. Whether your case is still in the early stages or heading toward trial, a Broomfield domestic violence defense attorney who knows the local courts and the real consequences of these charges can make a meaningful difference in where things end up.