Colorado Springs Violent Crimes Lawyer
Facing Violent Crime Charges in Colorado Springs? Get Aggressive Defense Now
A violent crime charge in Colorado carries mandatory prison time, a permanent felony record, and the loss of firearm rights. Under C.R.S. 18-1.3-406, a conviction for a crime of violence requires a Department of Corrections sentence of at least the midpoint of the presumptive range and up to twice its maximum. Probation is off the table. First degree assault, a class 3 felony charged as a crime of violence, carries 10 to 32 years in prison.
Colorado voters made those sentences longer in practice. For second degree murder, first degree assault, class 2 felony kidnapping, sexual assault, first degree arson, first degree burglary, and aggravated robbery committed on or after January 1, 2025, C.R.S. 17-22.5-403 now requires 85 percent of the sentence to be served before parole eligibility, with no earned time credit before that point. A defendant with two prior crime of violence convictions serves the full sentence.
Every hour without counsel is an hour the prosecution uses to lock in witness statements and build its case. Attorney Aaron P. Gaddis of Colorado Springs Criminal Defense, LLC has practiced criminal defense in Colorado since 2006, first as a state public defender and now in private practice in Colorado Springs.
Call (719) 578-3344 or request a free consultation. Aaron is reachable 24/7, including immediately after an arrest.
Why Choose Colorado Springs Criminal Defense, LLC
- Aaron P. Gaddis has been licensed by the Colorado Supreme Court since 2006 and has handled criminal cases ranging from misdemeanor assault to homicide and sexual assault
- He began his career with the Colorado State Public Defender, covering the I-70 corridor from Silverthorne and then spending more than four years in Salida, where his caseload included the Canon City prison jurisdiction
- Free initial consultations, with 24/7 availability for people who have just been arrested
- Located at 10 Boulder Crescent Street, Ste. 301, Colorado Springs, CO 80903, in downtown Colorado Springs near the El Paso County courts
A public defender background matters in violent crime cases. Public defenders try more serious felony cases in their first few years than most private attorneys see in a decade, and they do it against the same district attorney's offices that will prosecute your case. That experience shapes how Aaron reads a police report, cross-examines a witness, and negotiates with a prosecutor.
- Constitutional rights protection from day one. Every police report, witness statement, and piece of forensic evidence is reviewed for Fourth Amendment violations, Miranda problems, and chain-of-custody failures. Evidence obtained unlawfully can be suppressed, and a case built on suppressed evidence often cannot go forward.
- Defense strategies built for each case. Violent crime charges range from third degree assault to first degree assault to homicide. Each demands a different approach: self defense under C.R.S. 18-1-704, mistaken identity, or holding the prosecution to its burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
- Straight answers about your options. Whether the right path is a motion to dismiss, a negotiated reduction, or a jury trial, you will know where your case stands and why.
Our Violent Crime Defense Services
The Colorado Springs Police Department recorded 3,717 violent crime offenses in 2023, counting murder, non-consensual sex offenses, aggravated assault, and robbery. Each of those cases became a prosecution in the Fourth Judicial District. Even the least serious assault charge, a class 1 misdemeanor, carries up to 364 days in jail and a record that follows you through employment screening, housing applications, and family court.
Assault Defense
Assault in Colorado ranges from third degree assault, a class 1 misdemeanor, to first degree assault, a class 3 felony. Second degree assault is a class 4 felony. When a deadly weapon is used or serious bodily injury results, the charge is filed as a crime of violence and the sentencing range shifts from the standard range to the enhanced range under C.R.S. 18-1.3-406. First degree assault as a crime of violence carries 10 to 32 years.
Defense strategies focus on self defense, the credibility of witnesses, and gaps in the police investigation. Body camera footage, medical records, and forensic evidence are reviewed line by line for weaknesses in the prosecution's case. Learn more about our assault defense practice.
Domestic Violence Defense
A domestic violence designation triggers consequences before any trial. Colorado's mandatory arrest law requires officers to make an arrest when they have probable cause, and the court issues a mandatory protection order at the first appearance. An accusation alone can remove you from your home and cut off contact with your children.
Defending a domestic violence case means examining what actually happened, the relationship between the parties, and whether officers followed proper procedure during the arrest and investigation. Protecting family relationships and future custody rights depends on building the defense from the first day. Read about our domestic violence defense approach.
Weapons Charges Defense
Weapons violations carry serious penalties on their own. Combined with a violent crime, they add years. When a crime of violence involves a dangerous weapon as defined in Colorado law, C.R.S. 18-1.3-406(7) requires an additional five-year prison sentence served consecutively to the underlying sentence, with no suspension or probation. Multiple crimes of violence arising from the same incident generally must be sentenced consecutively as well.
The Fourth Amendment is central to weapons cases. If officers searched your vehicle, home, or person without a warrant or a valid exception, the weapon and anything else they found may be suppressed. Every detail of the stop, search, and seizure gets examined. Explore our weapons charges defense services.
Homicide and Manslaughter Defense
Homicide charges carry the most severe consequences in the criminal justice system. First degree murder is a class 1 felony punishable by life imprisonment. Second degree murder is a class 2 felony and a per se crime of violence, carrying 16 to 48 years. Manslaughter is a class 4 felony. A serious defense often requires independent investigators and expert witnesses in forensic pathology, ballistics, or mental health.
Most criminal cases resolve without a trial, but homicide cases go to trial more often than any other charge because the stakes leave less room for compromise. Preparing for trial means building a defense that addresses every element the prosecution must prove, from intent to identification to cause of death. See our homicide and manslaughter defense page.
How Our Violent Crime Defense Process Works
What happens in the first days after an arrest shapes the whole case. Early action affects which evidence is admissible, whether statements can be suppressed, and how the case unfolds from the first appearance through resolution.
Step 1: Emergency Consultation and Case Review
Contact us for a free consultation. If you have just been arrested, Aaron is available around the clock. In the first meeting we review the charging documents, identify the specific charges and any crime of violence count, and explain the sentencing exposure under Colorado law. You will leave knowing what you are facing and what happens next.
Step 2: Investigation and Strategic Defense Building
We obtain and analyze everything the prosecution intends to use: police reports, witness statements, body camera and surveillance footage, forensic results, and 911 recordings. We look for constitutional violations, procedural errors, and weaknesses in the state's evidence. Where the facts support it, we develop affirmative defenses such as self defense under C.R.S. 18-1-704 or challenge identification evidence.
This phase may include retaining experts in forensics, mental health, or ballistics. We file pretrial motions to suppress unlawfully obtained evidence and to dismiss counts the state cannot support.
Step 3: Court Representation and Resolution
Representation covers every stage, from the preliminary hearing and motions practice through plea negotiations or jury trial. When the evidence supports it, we pursue outright dismissal. When a negotiated resolution serves your interests, we work with the district attorney for reduced charges or a sentence outside the mandatory range. When trial is the right path, we try the case.
Because C.R.S. 18-1.3-406 strips the judge of most sentencing discretion once a crime of violence count sticks, the difference between a conviction on the original charge and a reduction to a lesser offense can be measured in decades.
Areas We Serve
Colorado Springs Criminal Defense, LLC represents clients in El Paso, Teller, Pueblo, and Fremont Counties, including:
- Downtown Colorado Springs and Old Colorado City
- Briargate, Northgate, and Flying Horse
- Fountain, Security-Widefield, and the Fort Carson area
- Manitou Springs, Woodland Park, and Cripple Creek
- Falcon, Peyton, and Black Forest
- Monument, Palmer Lake, and the Tri-Lakes region
- Pueblo and Pueblo West
- Canon City and Florence
We appear in El Paso County District Court for felony cases, El Paso County Court for misdemeanors, Colorado Springs Municipal Court, Teller County Combined Courts in Cripple Creek, Pueblo County Combined Courts, and Fremont County Combined Courts in Canon City. Aaron's public defender years in the Fremont County courts mean the Canon City docket is familiar ground, not a road trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Should I Do Immediately After Being Arrested for a Violent Crime?
Remain silent and ask for a lawyer. You have the constitutional right to decline questioning and to have an attorney present before any interrogation. Do not discuss your case with officers, other inmates, or family over jail phones, which are recorded. Contact a criminal defense lawyer as soon as possible, and write down anything that may help your defense: witness names, camera locations, and the timeline as you remember it.
How Much Does a Violent Crime Defense Lawyer Cost in Colorado Springs?
Fees depend on the charges, the volume of evidence, and whether the case is likely to go to trial. A third degree assault misdemeanor takes far fewer resources than a homicide trial with expert witnesses and months of pretrial litigation. We offer flat fee arrangements for most misdemeanor cases and a free initial consultation for every case. You will receive a clear fee quote before you commit to anything.
Can Violent Crime Charges Be Dismissed or Reduced?
Yes. Dismissal is possible when the prosecution cannot prove every element beyond a reasonable doubt or when constitutional rights were violated during the investigation or arrest. Reductions come through negotiation when the evidence is weak, when mitigating circumstances exist, or when a motion exposes procedural failures. Nothing is guaranteed, and every case turns on its own facts, but early investigation gives the defense the most options.
What Are the Penalties for Violent Crimes in Colorado?
A crime of violence conviction requires a prison sentence under C.R.S. 18-1.3-406, and because every crime of violence is also an extraordinary risk crime under C.R.S. 18-1.3-401(10), the range starts higher than the ordinary presumptive range. The resulting ranges by felony class are:
- Class 6 felony (crime of violence): 1.5 to 4 years
- Class 5 felony (crime of violence): 2.5 to 8 years
- Class 4 felony (crime of violence): 5 to 16 years
- Class 3 felony (crime of violence): 10 to 32 years
- Class 2 felony (crime of violence): 16 to 48 years
- Class 1 felony: life imprisonment
Every felony sentence is followed by a mandatory parole period of one to five years. Beyond prison, a conviction brings fines, loss of firearm rights, a permanent record, and consequences for employment, housing, immigration status, and custody. A sex offense that qualifies as a crime of violence carries an indeterminate sentence with a maximum of natural life.
How Long Will My Violent Crime Case Take?
Felony violent crime cases typically take several months to more than a year. Assault cases with straightforward facts may resolve sooner. Homicide cases often run well past a year because of the investigation, pretrial motions, and expert scheduling involved. Retaining a lawyer early lets the defense investigation and motion practice start immediately, which is the only part of the timeline you control.
Does Your Firm Handle Other Criminal Cases Like DUI or Drug Crimes?
Yes. The firm handles DUI, drug offenses, theft, traffic, juvenile, and misdemeanor cases throughout southern Colorado. DUI cases in particular have a tight deadline: you have seven days from the arrest to request a DMV hearing or your license revocation takes effect automatically. See our DUI defense page for details.
Get Aggressive Defense for Your Violent Crime Charges
Violent offenses carry mandatory prison sentences, and the criminal justice system does not pause while you look for a lawyer. Every day without counsel is a day the prosecution builds its case unchallenged. The defense starts now.
Call Colorado Springs Criminal Defense, LLC for a free consultation. Attorney Aaron P. Gaddis has defended people accused of serious crimes across southern Colorado since 2006.
Colorado Springs Criminal Defense, LLC · (719) 578-3344 · 10 Boulder Crescent Street, Ste. 301, Colorado Springs, CO 80903
Sources
- C.R.S. 18-1.3-406, Mandatory sentences for violent crimes
- C.R.S. 18-1.3-401, Felonies classified, presumptive penalties, extraordinary risk crimes
- C.R.S. 17-22.5-403, Parole eligibility, as amended by Proposition 128 (2024)
- C.R.S. 18-1-704, Use of physical force in defense of a person
- Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Colorado Crime Statistics, Violent Crime 2023, Colorado Springs Police Department
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