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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Major Change Lowers Penalty for Colorado Community Corrections ViolationsBy H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer

Introduction

Two significant changes that will have a major impact on cases involving alleged violations of Colorado Community Correction sentences were quietly enacted in 2020.

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Understanding Colorado One on One Show-Up Procedures A Close LookBy H. Michael Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer

Introduction – the Very Real Danger of Misidentification as a Result of One on One Show-ups at the Scene of a Colorado Criminal Investigation

A “show-up” is a procedure used by the police where a lone potential suspect of a recently committed crime is presented in person to an eyewitness to determine if that individual was involved in the commission of the crime.

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Charged-With-Two-Crimes-for-the-Same-Conduct-in-Colorado-Legal-300x200
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.

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Search and Seizure Law Have You Been Seized by A Police OfficerBy 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 is the subject of this brief piece.

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The Impossible Defense of Impossibility in ColoradoBy 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 of impossibility.

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The Colorado Deferred Judgement and the Split PleaBy 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.

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When a Police Investigatory Stop Crosses the Line
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 to privacy.

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Comfort Dogs, the Courts, and Colorado Criminal Law
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.

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Cell Phone Searches and Seizures Under Colorado Law
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 unlawful searches and seizures.

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Colorado Self Defense Law - Stand Your Ground
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 to the defendant’s assertion that she acted in self-defense, that the defendant had a duty to retreat before using deadly force.

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