theft

Appeals court says defendants must pay restitution even if prosecution ‘undercharges’ them

Feb 3, 2025

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Michael Karlik

Colorado’s second-highest court ruled on Thursday that criminal defendants must still pay financial restitution to their victims for the losses they cause, even if they are convicted of a crime that caps the dollar amount at something less. In Colorado, as part of sentencing, judges must consider whether defendants owe financial restitution to their victims. Restitution means…
Colorado justices say no automatic reversal when jury convicts on different crime than charged

Sep 10, 2024

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Michael Karlik

The Colorado Supreme Court ruled on Monday there is no automatic reversal of a defendant’s convictions if jurors rely on instructions that outline a different crime than the one prosecutors charged in the first place. The justices concluded that such a change, known as a “constructive amendment,” does not fall in the category of structural…
Colorado Supreme Court dismisses appeal after Rifle backs down, changes local theft penalties

Dec 19, 2023

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Michael Karlik

The Colorado Supreme Court dismissed an unusual appeal out of municipal court last week, after the city of Rifle backed down and changed its local penalties for theft under the threat of having its ordinance struck down for a constitutional violation. After the justices told the city to explain why it should be allowed to…
Colorado Supreme Court to hear cases on ‘3 strikes’ law, Littleton family’s meth exposure

Nov 21, 2023

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Michael Karlik

The Colorado Supreme Court announced this month it will hear cases that could drastically broaden the relief available to people serving lengthy sentences under the state’s “three strikes” law and that would potentially reduce a multimillion-dollar award to two tenants who were poisoned by a downstairs meth operation. At least three of the court’s seven…
Colorado moves to make all auto theft a felony, regardless of vehicle value

May 7, 2023

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Hannah Metzger

Colorado is the No. 1 state in the nation for auto thefts. On Saturday, state lawmakers passed a bill they hope would help change that. Currently, the severity of criminal offenses for auto thefts in Colorado depends on the value of the stolen vehicle – ranging from a class 1 misdemeanor for a car worth $2,000 or…
Appeals court says trial judges cannot initiate probation revocation proceedings

Jan 16, 2023

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Michael Karlik

An Arapahoe County judge went beyond his legal authority when he ordered a defendant’s probation officer to seek revocation of the man’s probation, Colorado’s second-highest court decided last week. The three-judge panel for the Court of Appeals also took the unusual step of removing District Court Judge Ben L. Leutwyler from the case going forward.…
State Supreme Court accepts appeals on DIA noise, thwarted bike theft

Oct 28, 2022

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Michael Karlik

The Colorado Supreme Court agreed this week to hear two cases on appeal, involving Denver’s liability for noise violations at Denver International Airport as well as a Boulder thief’s role in damaging his victim’s car. Two other cases fell just short of the threshold for accepting an appeal, which requires agreement from three out of the…
The State of the Streets: A conversation with Police Chief Pazen

Aug 7, 2022

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Vince Bzdek

We all know about the State of the Union address our president delivers to Congress every year. Our governor does multiple State of the State speeches around Colorado, and Denver hosts several State of the City events, including one just last Thursday sponsored by the Denver Chamber of Commerce. All fine and good, but who…
Gov. Jared Polis signs bill to address online sale of stolen products

Mar 17, 2022

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Hannah Metzger

Gov. Jared Polis on Thursday signed into law legislation that seeks to crack down on stolen and counterfeit products being anonymously sold through online marketplaces, such as eBay and Facebook. Beginning in 2023, House Bill 1099 will require some third-party sellers to provide identifying information to the online marketplace they’re using and to the person…
Colorado legislature OKs bill to address online sale of stolen products

Mar 7, 2022

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Hannah Metzger

The Colorado legislature approved legislation Monday that seeks to crack down on stolen and counterfeit products being anonymously sold through online marketplaces like eBay and Facebook. The state Senate passed House Bill 1099 in a unanimous vote Monday, following the state House of Representatives’ 60-3 approval last month. The bipartisan bill will now be sent…