Felonies

In the state of Colorado, any charge which carries a possible sentence to imprisonment in the Department of Corrections is a "felony" charge. Colorado classifies felonies into six classes and each class carries its own possible sentence range as a penalty if the accused person is convicted. For example, most class 6 felonies carry a 12-18 month possible prison sentence, and most class 3 felonies carry a possible 4-12 year prison sentence. There are many other factors that may increase the possible sentence ranges. For example, if the crime is considered a "crime of violence" the possible sentence range will be higher.

In addition to the possible sentence to imprisonment, felony charges also have other lasting impacts on the rights and privileges of those accused of crimes. For example, some felonies result in driver's license revocations. All felonies have a potential to impact other important rights, such as the right to bear arms, the right to vote, and the ability to receive many forms of government aid. Additionally, many employers seeking to hire employees perform criminal background checks to determine whether the potential employee has been convicted of a felony.

In Colorado, felonies include Homicide, Manslaughter, Vehicular Homicide, 1st and 2nd Degree Assault, Vehicular Assault, Menacing, Kidnapping, Sexual Assault, Stalking, Arson, Burglary, Robbery, Theft, Criminal Mischief, Trespass, Fraud, Domestic Violence, Vehicular Eluding, Illegal Possession of Weapons, Possession and Distribution of Drugs, and many other offenses.

Because of the far-reaching consequences of a felony conviction, it is extremely important to speak with an attorney who will listen to you and fight for your rights.