Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor at the Larimer County Courts
Contributing Charges Explained by Top Fort Collins Criminal Defense Lawyers

Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor, C.R.S. 18-6-701, is charged at the Larimer County Courts whenever an adult encourages, helps, or persuades a child to commit a crime.  Our top criminal defense lawyers advise that it often doesn’t take much to be charged with this offense.  Doing as little as serving wine at a party where a teenager decides to drink could result in criminal charges.  If you have been charged with Contributing, don’t wait to contact a top criminal defense attorney to represent you at the Larimer County Courts.

Blog navigation:

1. Fort Collins Definition of Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor, C.R.S. 18-6-701

2. Examples of Contributing to Delinquency in Loveland and Estes Park

3. Larimer County Jail Time and Other Penalties for Contributing to Delinquency

4. Contact the Best Fort Collins Contributing Lawyers Today

1. Fort Collins Definition of Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor, C.R.S. 18-6-701

Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor, C.R.S. 18-6-701, is defined as follows in Fort Collins:

(1) (a) Any person who induces, aids, or encourages a child to violate any state law that is a felony victims rights act crime as defined in section 24-4.1-302(1) commits first degree contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

(b) Any person who induces, aids, or encourages a child to violate any municipal or county ordinance, court order, or state or federal law that is not a felony victims rights act crime as defined in section 24-4.1-302(1) commits second degree contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

Contributing can be a misdemeanor or felony offense, depending on whether the defendant encouraged a child (any person under the age of 18) to commit a criminal offense that is a felony Victims Rights Act / VRA crime.  For example, persuading a child to commit First or Second Degree Burglary would be charged as felony Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor.

2. Examples of Contributing to Delinquency in Loveland and Estes Park

Examples of Contributing to Delinquency in Loveland and Estes Park include the following actions:

Providing alcohol or marijuana to a minor.  Our top lawyers often see people charged with Contributing for giving beer or pot to a teenager.

Soliciting help from a juvenile to help you commit a crime.  Some defendants are charged with Contributing after they seek the help of a teenager to commit a crime, as was the case with this Colorado Springs couple.

Engaging in sexual contact with a child.  This is not an offense of Contributing to Delinquency in and of itself, but sex crimes against children frequently go hand-in-hand with Contributing charges.  For example, providing a teenager with a controlled substance to engage in unlawful sexual contact with her would result in both Sexual Assault on a Child and Contributing to Delinquency charges.

3. Larimer County Jail Time and Other Penalties for Contributing to Delinquency

Time at the Larimer County Jail or Colorado Department of Corrections, as well as other penalties, depend on the crime the adult persuaded the child to commit.  Asking a child to commit a crime that is not a Victims Rights Act offense is a class 1 misdemeanor.  However, it is a more severe class 4 felony if the defendant encouraged or helped the child commit a felony VRA crime.  See the table below for penalties that will result from misdemeanor or felony Contributing:

Misdemeanor Contributing

Felony Contributing

  • Up to 364 days in the Larimer County Jail
  • Fine of up to $1,000
  • Any other penalties that the judge deems necessary, such as treatment and restitution
  • 2 – 6 years in the Colorado DOC
  • Fine of $2,000 – $500,000
  • 3 years of mandatory parole after release from incarceration
  • Any other penalties that the judge deems necessary, such as treatment and restitution

Important to know is that Contributing is rarely ever charged on its own.  If you have been charged with Contributing, chances are that you have also been charged with other crimes.  If convicted of those other charges, the penalties imposed by the Larimer County Courts will skyrocket.

4. Contact the Best Fort Collins Contributing Lawyers Today

If you have been charged with Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor, don’t wait to contact the best Fort Collins Contributing lawyers today.  Whether you have been charged with a misdemeanor or felony, conviction of this crime will wreck your future.  You won’t just spend several months or years of your life sitting in a Larimer County Jail or Colorado State Prison cell.  Once you are done with your sentence, you will then spend a significant amount of time trying to undo the damage.  Many people who have been convicted of Contributing can attest that finding a job that pays well or an apartment in a safe part of town is almost impossible because of their criminal record.

These penalties do not have to be your future, however.  The sooner you contact a top criminal defense lawyer, the sooner we can act to prevent these penalties from destroying your future.  Call a lawyer with more than 3 decades of experience today so that we can help you can live in freedom again.


Have you been charged with Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor?  Be smart, and exercise your right to stay silent – do not talk to Fort Collins Police or the Larimer County Sheriff.  Then call 970-658-0007 to discuss your charges with the best Larimer County criminal defense lawyers. Together, we can protect your future.

The location for the Larimer County Courthouse is 201 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, Colorado. We’ll see you there!

Photo by Brandon Nickerson