By H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer Introduction – One Set of Facts – Several Crimes Charged – Is That Legal? I am often asked how one can be charged for multiple crimes in the same case for the same conduct – the so-called unlawful “duplicative” charging issue. The…
By H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer Introduction – What Does It Mean to be Seized? The phrase “search and seizure” is very familiar to most Americans, but a clear understanding by most of us of the moment when one is constitutionally “seized” – is a different question and…
By H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer Introduction The complexities of successfully defending a Colorado criminal case require a thorough and comprehensive review of any and all of the possible legal defenses available for the case at hand. One of those defenses that should be explored is the defense…
By H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer Introduction Estimates of the number of criminal cases settled by agreement – a plea bargain – are somewhere between 90 and 95 percent of all cases across the country. This is also true in the state of Colorado. Plea bargaining, especially in…
By H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer Introduction – Your Rights Under the Fourth Amendment While I have written on this subject before, a recent Colorado case, People v. Oliver (2020) has reminded me of the critically important reasons why each of us should know and understand our rights…
By H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer An Introduction to Comfort Dogs Many criminal defense lawyers view “comfort dogs,” specially trained dogs that accompany alleged victims of crime or any witness to the stand when they testify at trial, as a play for sympathy. I disagree. Dogs that both…
By H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer Introduction – Basic Law -Your Right to Privacy – The Fourth Amendment To fully understand when and under circumstances law enforcement may search your cell phone, one must start with an understanding of your basic rights under the Fourth Amendment’s protection against…
By H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer Introduction – No Duty to Retreat to the Wall – Right to Stand Your Ground In a recent case, People v. Sheila Renee Monroe, the Colorado Supreme Court reversed a guilty verdict in a homicide case because the prosecutor argued, in response…
By H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer Introduction to Colorado Self Defense Law One of the most misunderstood defenses to a charge of, for example, assault, is the affirmative defense of self-defense. While many online sources address the defense itself, there has been very little written about the ways…
By H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer What is a Suspended Sentence? Sentencing law in Colorado criminal cases can be complex. One of the most common types of sentences in the Colorado criminal justice system is a suspended sentence. Colorado judges are empowered to impose a suspended sentence to…