False Imprisonment Lawyers in Fort Collins, CO
Could I Be Charged with False Imprisonment for Making a Citizen’s Arrest in Larimer County?

Can you be charged with False Imprisonment for effecting a citizen's arrest? Click here to find out! If you have been charged, call the O'Malley Law Office.

False Imprisonment, C.R.S. 18-3-303, is charged in Fort Collins, CO for unlawfully detaining or confining another person without their consent.  Even with this law, however, there are some circumstances in which you may lawfully detain another person.  One such example is Arrest by a Private Person, more commonly known as a citizen’s arrest.  Yet, many people do not know when they can lawfully make a citizen’s arrest, which often results in them being charged with False Imprisonment.

If you have been charged with False Imprisonment, you cannot afford to wait to call our top Fort Collins criminal defense lawyers.  Contact us today so that together, we can help you protect your future.

Blog Navigation:

Legal Definition of False Imprisonment, C.R.S. 18-3-303 in Fort Collins

When Can Someone Effect a Citizen’s Arrest in Larimer County?

Charged with False Imprisonment? Call the Best Loveland Criminal Defense Lawyers Today

Legal Definition of False Imprisonment, C.R.S. 18-3-303 in Fort Collins

In Fort Collins, the legal definition of False Imprisonment, C.R.S. 18-3-303, is as follows:

Any person who knowingly confines or detains another without the other’s consent and without proper legal authority commits false imprisonment.

Some people find themselves charged with False Imprisonment when they try to effect a citizen’s arrest, only to later find out that they did so improperly.  It’s important to know and understand Colorado’s law on when you can make a citizen’s arrest, given that there are few times where you can lawfully do so.

When Can Someone Effect a Citizen’s Arrest in Larimer County?

Arrest by a Private Person, C.R.S. 16-3-201, is Colorado’s law that gives Colorado citizens the ability to make a citizen’s arrest.  This law is as follows:

A person who is not a peace officer may arrest another person when any crime has been or is being committed by the arrested person in the presence of the person making the arrest.

In other words, you can only make a citizen’s arrest when a crime has taken place or is currently taking place in your presence.  You cannot make an arrest if you just heard from another person that the crime took place, and this would most likely result in False Imprisonment charges.

Charged with False Imprisonment? Call the Best Loveland Criminal Defense Lawyers Today

If you’ve been charged with this crime, you cannot afford to wait to call the best Loveland criminal defense lawyers.  Whether you were charged with a misdemeanor or felony, False Imprisonment charges can be devastating to your future, and only an experienced attorney can help you protect it.  Call us today to secure the representation you need and protect your future.


If you’ve been charged with False Imprisonment, remember to always be smart, and exercise your right to stay silent.  Do not talk to the Fort Collins Police, Loveland Police, or Larimer County Sheriff about your case.  Get in contact with a criminal lawyer with decades of experience at the O’Malley Law Office instead by calling 970-658-0007 today.  Together, we can protect your future.

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

Photo by Kindel Media