H. Michael Steinberg has 42+ years of experience practicing Colorado criminal law. Mr. Steinberg strives to stay current with the ever changing aspects of criminal law issues and updates resulting in his extensive knowledge of successful criminal defense as well as appellate work. He is also an active member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar Association, the Colorado Trial Lawyer's Association, and the Colorado and Arapahoe Bar Associations.
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The Colorado Mandatory Protection Order

Colorado’s mandatory protection order, often shortened to “MPO,” is created by statute rather than by a judge’s individual decision. It follows nearly every person charged with a crime under Title 18 of the Colorado Revised Statutes.

Because it takes effect so early and reaches so far into daily routines, it is one of the most misunderstood parts of a Colorado criminal case. This guide explains how it works, what it changes about everyday life, and what happens if it is violated.

  • An MPO arisesautomatically when a person is charged with a Title 18 criminal offense. No one has to petition for it.
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Colorado Criminal Defense | Record Sealing

Colorado Automatic Record Sealing: What the Clean Slate Laws Mean for You in 2026

Who qualifies, how long the wait is, how the process really works, and what sealing does (and does not) do under SB 22-99 and HB 24-1133.

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What Happens After an Arrest in Colorado? Misdemeanor vs. Felony TimelineIntroduction

An arrest is the moment most people remember, but it is only the first page of a much longer story. The handcuffs, the booking photo and the night in a holding cell are over quickly. What follows can stretch across days, weeks and months, and the path it takes depends heavily on one question: is the charge a misdemeanor or a felony?

I have practiced criminal defense in Colorado for more than forty years, and the same scene repeats itself in my office. A frightened client, or more often a frightened parent or spouse, sits down and asks the same questions.

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What Happens If You Violate a Colorado Criminal Protection Order?

Introduction

It usually starts small: a text that says “I just want to explain,” a wave across a parking lot, a message passed along through a mutual friend. Under Colorado law, any of these can be treated as a violation of a protection order, and the consequences can arrive faster than the case that produced the order.

A violation of a Colorado criminal protection order can lead to arrest, a new criminal charge, possible jail and fines, contempt of court, and serious consequences in the underlying criminal case.

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c Second Look Sentencing - Will A Colorado Judge Reconsider My Sentence? Rule 35 (b)

By H. Michael Steinberg, A Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer – Practicing Colorado Criminal Law in the courts of Colorado for over 40 years.

Introduction:

A sentence feels final the moment a judge announces it. In Colorado, it is not always. Colorado Rule of Criminal Procedure 35(b) gives the sentencing judge a narrow window to take a second look and reduce a sentence they have already imposed.

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Can Police Recover Your Deleted Text Messages?

By H. Michael Steinberg, A Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer – Practicing Colorado Criminal Law in the courts of Colorado for over 40 years.

Introduction

People delete texts for normal reasons all the time. Clearing space. Cleaning up a messy thread. Panic deleting after an argument. Switching phones. Or just… not wanting old stuff sitting there forever.

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What Happens If You Violate a Colorado Criminal Protection Order- In DepthIntroduction

A violation of a Colorado criminal protection order can lead to arrest, a new criminal charge, possible jail and fines, contempt of court, and serious consequences in the underlying criminal case. The order remains enforceable unless and until the court changes it—permission from the protected person does not cancel or modify its terms.

Criminal Protection Orders in Colorado

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01-featured-image-hero-scaledIntroduction

The call usually comes without warning. A detective leaves a voicemail asking you to “come in and clear a few things up.” Officers knock at 6 a.m. with a search warrant. A relative mentions that police have been asking questions about you. Or you simply learn — from a text, a subpoena, an employer, a former friend — that someone has made an accusation.

In that moment, most people do what feels natural: they try to fix it. They explain, apologize, reach out, delete, post, or wait and hope. Nearly every one of those instincts is understandable. Many of them are also the precise moves that turn a defensible situation into a difficult one — and sometimes into a second, separate crime.

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By H. Michael Steinberg, A Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer

Why the innocent make false confessions.

Introduction

In part 1 of this article, we did a kind of surface review of this difficult and complex area.

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