Lakewood Felony Lawyer

A felony charge in Colorado is not a setback you work around. It is a fork in the road where one path leads to years in prison, a permanent criminal record, and consequences that touch every area of your life. Reid DeChant, Lakewood felony lawyer and founder of DeChant Law, has handled felony charges at every level, from the public defender’s office in Denver, Broomfield, and Adams County to private practice. That experience shapes how he approaches every case that walks through the door.

What Colorado’s Felony Classification System Actually Means for You

Colorado divides felonies into six classes, with Class 1 carrying the most severe punishment and Class 6 representing the lower end. Where your charge falls determines the sentencing range a judge works within, and that range matters enormously. A Class 3 felony, for instance, carries a presumptive sentence of four to twelve years in the Colorado Department of Corrections. A Class 6 felony still means up to eighteen months in prison and a $100,000 fine.

Beyond prison time, Colorado uses a grid system that factors in your criminal history. Prior felony convictions shift you into a higher row on that grid, which narrows the court’s discretion downward. This is why early intervention matters. The decisions made in the first days after an arrest, including what you say, what evidence gets preserved, and what motions get filed, shape the trajectory of everything that follows.

Lakewood sits in Jefferson County, and felony cases there are handled in Jefferson County District Court. Prosecutors in that office are experienced and well-resourced. Understanding how they build cases, what they prioritize, and where the gaps in their evidence tend to appear is part of what a defense attorney brings to the table.

Felony Charges That Frequently Come Out of Jefferson County

Jefferson County encompasses a wide stretch of the Denver metro, from the foothills west of Lakewood to neighborhoods bordering Denver proper. The geography shapes the types of cases that move through the district court. Drug felonies tied to distribution rather than simple possession make up a substantial portion of the docket. Assault charges, particularly those involving weapons or resulting in serious bodily injury, are charged as felonies and prosecuted aggressively.

Felony DUI, specifically a fourth or subsequent offense, is a growing category in Colorado. What began as a misdemeanor DUI can become a Class 4 felony based solely on prior convictions. The criminal case runs parallel to a separate DMV proceeding that can revoke your license, and both require immediate attention.

Domestic violence allegations, when they involve strangulation, a weapon, or a prior conviction, escalate to felony status and carry mandatory arrest policies. The charge comes with automatic consequences before any conviction occurs, including mandatory protection orders that can remove someone from their own home. DeChant Law has obtained not guilty verdicts and dismissals in domestic violence felony cases, including strangulation charges.

Theft crimes become felonies in Colorado when the value of the property stolen exceeds $2,000. White-collar offenses, including fraud, identity theft, and embezzlement, often involve large alleged loss amounts that push them into higher felony classes. These cases tend to involve extensive documentary evidence and digital records, which creates both challenges and opportunities for the defense.

How Felony Prosecutions Actually Develop in Jefferson County

After an arrest, a felony case typically moves through a preliminary hearing or grand jury process before trial becomes a realistic event on the calendar. The preliminary hearing is a critical moment. It is where a judge decides whether the prosecution has enough evidence to bind the case over for trial. A strong performance at a preliminary hearing, including effective cross-examination of prosecution witnesses, can expose weaknesses in the state’s case and sometimes lead to reduced charges or outright dismissal.

Discovery in felony cases is more extensive than in misdemeanors. Police reports, body camera footage, lab results, witness statements, and expert reports all come through discovery and each piece requires careful review. Evidence that looks damaging on its face sometimes tells a different story when examined closely. A blood draw that was not handled according to protocol, a witness identification that was made under suggestive circumstances, or a search that exceeded the scope of the warrant are the kinds of issues that can be dispositive.

Reid has tried cases to verdict in multiple Colorado counties. That trial experience matters because prosecutors know who is willing to try a case and who will settle for any deal to avoid a courtroom. Defense attorneys who have tried cases and won not guilty verdicts occupy a different negotiating position than those who have not.

Felony Convictions Reach Further Than the Sentence

Prison and parole are the obvious consequences. But a felony conviction in Colorado also means losing the right to possess a firearm under both state and federal law. It affects professional licenses in fields from healthcare to real estate to financial services. It can disqualify someone from federal student aid. For non-citizens, a felony conviction can trigger removal proceedings or bar a path to citizenship regardless of how long someone has lived in the United States.

These downstream consequences are not hypothetical. They are outcomes that play out for clients years after the criminal case closes. A complete defense strategy accounts for all of them, not just the sentencing range listed in the statute. Sometimes the most important work is negotiating a plea to a different charge, not fighting the underlying facts, because the charge itself determines what collateral consequences attach.

Questions People Ask About Felony Defense in Lakewood

Can a felony charge be reduced to a misdemeanor in Colorado?

Yes, and this happens more often than people expect. Charge reductions can result from successful motions, weaknesses in the prosecution’s case, cooperation agreements, or plea negotiations where the facts support a lower charge. The strength of a reduction offer depends heavily on the specific charge, the evidence, and the defendant’s criminal history. There is no formula that applies uniformly.

What happens at the first court appearance after a felony arrest?

The initial appearance is primarily about bond. A judge sets conditions of release, which may include a monetary bond, pretrial supervision, or other conditions depending on the charge and the defendant’s history. Felony defendants in Jefferson County who are held on bond can find that pretrial detention significantly complicates their ability to assist in their own defense, which is one reason challenging bond conditions early can matter.

How long does a felony case in Jefferson County typically take?

Cases vary considerably. A felony that resolves through a plea agreement might close in several months. A case that proceeds to trial can take a year or more, depending on the complexity, the court’s docket, and the volume of discovery. Colorado’s speedy trial rules do impose a deadline on the prosecution, but that deadline is subject to waivers and excludable time periods that can extend the timeline.

Does invoking my right to remain silent actually help?

Consistently, yes. Statements made to law enforcement are among the most commonly used evidence against defendants in felony cases. The right to remain silent exists for a reason, and exercising it does not suggest guilt in any legally meaningful way. Declining to speak until you have an attorney present is not obstruction. It is the law working as designed.

What does it mean that Colorado has a felony mandatory sentencing requirement for some charges?

Certain Colorado felonies carry mandatory minimum sentences that limit a judge’s ability to impose a lower sentence even with strong mitigating circumstances. Drug felonies, violent felonies with firearms, and sexual assault offenses all have mandatory provisions that require careful attention when evaluating plea offers versus going to trial. Understanding the floor of a potential sentence is as important as understanding the ceiling.

Can past dismissed charges affect a current felony case?

In some contexts, yes. Prior arrests and dismissed charges, while generally not admissible as evidence of guilt, can appear in background investigations, influence bond decisions, and in certain contexts be referenced for impeachment if a defendant testifies. Colorado’s record sealing laws provide some protection, but timing matters. If you have prior arrests or charges, discussing them with your attorney early is worthwhile.

What if the alleged victim in my felony case does not want to press charges?

In Colorado, the prosecution, not the alleged victim, decides whether to pursue charges. This is especially true in domestic violence cases. A victim who declines to cooperate or recants does complicate the prosecution’s case, but it does not automatically result in dismissal. Prosecutors can sometimes proceed using other evidence, including police reports, photographs, medical records, and prior statements. An attorney needs to assess what the state’s case actually looks like without the victim’s active participation.

Talk to DeChant Law About Your Felony Charge in Lakewood

Reid DeChant has taken felony cases through trial and won not guilty verdicts, moved to dismiss charges on constitutional grounds, and negotiated outcomes that avoided conviction entirely. If you are dealing with a Lakewood felony defense situation, the sooner the defense gets to work on the evidence and the charging documents, the more options remain open. DeChant Law handles felony cases in Jefferson County and throughout the Denver metro area, and the conversation about your case starts with a direct assessment of what you are actually facing.