Lakewood Criminal Defense Lawyer
Jefferson County prosecutes criminal cases with real intensity. The courthouse in Golden handles everything from low-level misdemeanors to serious felonies, and the outcomes that get handed down there follow people for years. Reid DeChant has defended clients in Jefferson County courts, earning not-guilty verdicts on DUI charges including a DUI Third out of Jefferson County and DUI-Drugs cases in that same county. For anyone facing charges in Lakewood or the surrounding Jefferson County area, that courtroom familiarity matters more than general claims about experience. Lakewood criminal defense lawyer Reid DeChant at DeChant Law brings that specific background to every case he handles west of Denver.
What Lakewood Cases Actually Look Like Before Trial
Lakewood sits along the US-6, C-470, and Wadsworth Boulevard corridors, and the Lakewood Police Department is active along all of them. Traffic stops generate a significant number of the criminal cases that filter through Jefferson County, particularly DUI arrests and drug possession charges tied to vehicle searches. Kipling Street, Colfax at the Denver-Lakewood boundary, and the stretches around Belmar are regular enforcement areas. The pattern matters because the lawfulness of the stop, and what happened immediately after, often determines what options exist in the defense.
Before any case reaches a courtroom, there is a substantial amount of work that happens on paper and in pretrial hearings. Reid examines police reports, body camera footage, dispatch logs, and the specific procedures officers followed. In DUI cases, he scrutinizes the Express Consent advisement, the timing of any chemical test relative to the time of driving, and whether the equipment used was properly calibrated and administered. These are not minor technicalities. Several dismissed DMV actions in DeChant Law’s case results turned on exactly those grounds.
In drug cases, the Fourth Amendment issue almost always comes first. If the search that produced the contraband was not legally justified, the evidence may not be usable. A motion to suppress, argued effectively, can end a case before it ever reaches trial. Reid evaluates this possibility early, not as an afterthought.
Jefferson County Court and the Realities of Local Prosecution
The Jefferson County Combined Courts in Golden handle all felony cases originating from Lakewood. Misdemeanor cases may also move through county court depending on the charge. The Jefferson County District Attorney’s office handles prosecution, and prosecutors there handle high volumes of cases. That volume creates both pressure and opportunity. Prosecutors have discretion to negotiate, but they also have strong institutional knowledge of local patterns. Walking in without someone who understands how that office operates puts defendants at a disadvantage from the start.
Jefferson County also deals with a notable number of domestic violence cases. Colorado’s mandatory arrest policy means that in any call involving an alleged domestic incident, someone typically gets arrested, regardless of what the full picture looks like. Once arrested, the case moves quickly and conditions of bond often include no-contact orders that affect where a person can live and who they can see. Reid has defended domestic violence charges through dismissal and not-guilty verdicts at trial, including a strangulation case dismissed by the DA at trial and assault cases in Adams County taken to not-guilty verdicts. That background applies directly to how Lakewood domestic violence cases get handled.
When the Case Goes to Trial
A lot of criminal defense attorneys settle every case. They negotiate pleas, manage expectations, and rarely, if ever, stand in front of a jury. Reid takes a different approach because his training points in a different direction. He attended Trial Lawyers College, where the emphasis is not on plea management but on what actually persuades a jury. That means building a case around the client’s real story, told clearly and without apology, in front of the people who will decide the outcome.
That courtroom orientation shapes how he prepares every case, even the ones that resolve before trial. When prosecutors know a defense attorney is prepared to go to trial and capable of winning, the dynamics of negotiation change. The two DUI-Drugs not-guilty verdicts out of Jefferson County, the DUI Third not-guilty verdict, and the not-guilty verdict on two counts of assault with a deadly weapon are part of a track record built in actual trials, not just pretrial deals.
Reid also came up through the public defender’s office, working in Denver, Broomfield, and Adams County. He handled the full range: traffic matters, DUI, theft, sexual assault, homicide. The breadth of that experience means he has seen how cases fall apart and how they hold together, and that perspective informs every decision made in a Lakewood case.
Questions People Ask Before Hiring a Lakewood Defense Attorney
Does it matter that my arrest happened in Lakewood versus unincorporated Jefferson County?
Lakewood is an incorporated city, so Lakewood Police Department handles initial arrests and investigations. All felony cases in Jefferson County, regardless of which municipality the incident occurred in, go through Jefferson County Combined Courts in Golden. Misdemeanor jurisdiction can vary. The venue affects which prosecutors handle the case and which judges preside, which is why local familiarity with Jefferson County courts is relevant.
I was arrested for DUI on Wadsworth Boulevard. What should I know right now?
Two separate matters begin running at the same time. The criminal case will proceed through Jefferson County Court. The DMV hearing, which concerns your license, runs separately and has its own deadline. You typically have seven days from the date of arrest to request a DMV hearing or your license will be automatically revoked. Missing that window forfeits the ability to contest the revocation. DeChant Law handles both the criminal case and the DMV proceeding.
What makes a domestic violence charge in Lakewood more complicated than other assault charges?
Colorado’s mandatory arrest law removes officer discretion when there is probable cause to believe domestic violence occurred. Once arrested, bond conditions often prohibit contact with the alleged victim, which can displace someone from their own home immediately. Prosecutors in Colorado also have the authority to proceed with charges even if the alleged victim recants or requests the case be dropped. That means the defense must engage the case directly rather than relying on a complaining witness to walk away.
My charge is only a misdemeanor. Do I really need a defense attorney?
Misdemeanor convictions carry real consequences beyond fines and possible jail time. A conviction can affect employment, housing applications, professional licenses, and immigration status. In Colorado, a misdemeanor domestic violence conviction also triggers federal law prohibiting firearm possession. The weight of a misdemeanor depends heavily on what you do and do not do with it afterward.
Can old charges be cleared from my record in Colorado?
Colorado allows record sealing for certain arrests and convictions under specific eligibility criteria. Not every offense qualifies, and the waiting periods vary. DeChant Law can evaluate whether charges from Lakewood or elsewhere in Jefferson County are eligible for sealing and walk through what the process involves.
What if I was charged in Lakewood but I live in Denver or another county?
Your county of residence does not determine where the case is prosecuted. The case follows where the alleged offense occurred. Jefferson County will handle prosecution regardless of where you live. You will need to appear in Jefferson County courts for scheduled hearings unless your attorney is able to appear on your behalf for certain matters.
How does Reid approach cases where the evidence looks strong against me?
Starting from a position of apparent evidence strength is not the same as starting from a position of no options. The question is always whether the evidence was lawfully obtained, whether it means what the prosecution claims it means, and whether the full picture of events has been told. Reid’s background in storytelling in the courtroom, developed at Trial Lawyers College, means he does not simply concede difficult cases. He builds the defense around what is actually true and argues it directly.
Reach Out About Your Jefferson County Case
Charges filed in Jefferson County move on their own schedule, and waiting does not improve the options. If you are looking for a Lakewood criminal defense attorney who has tried these cases, argued DMV hearings, and defended clients in Jefferson County courts, DeChant Law is worth the call. Reid handles each case personally, with the courtroom experience and the individual attention that a public defender background and private practice combine to produce. Contact DeChant Law to talk through what you are facing and what the realistic path forward looks like.