In Fort Collins and Larimer County, False Imprisonment is charged when a person is accused of confining someone against their will. The Loveland Police recently arrested a woman for this crime after a strange traffic stop. According to the report, the officers saw the woman driving ‘erratically.’ They followed her and at one point, she stopped and a male got out of the car. When the officers got out to talk to the man, the woman drove off. She did return to the area and was stopped and arrested for Reckless Driving and False Imprisonment as an act of Domestic Violence.
Larimer County False Imprisonment Lawyer: Definition of False Imprisonment in Colorado
The Larimer County, Colorado law definition of False Imprisonment – C.R.S. 18-3-303 – is:
While not much information was provided regarding what statements the man made regarding the situation, it’s likely that he claimed he wanted to get out of the car and she was trying to prevent him from doing that. Blocking a doorway or simply standing in someone’s way can result in this charge. Honestly, I’m surprised that since the car was moving when she was refusing to let him out that she did not get charged with Kidnapping instead.
Sentence for False Imprisonment in Car in Loveland and Estes Park
In Fort Collins, Loveland, and Estes Park, False Imprisonment is a class 2 misdemeanor. However, there are aggravating circumstances that can allow this crime to be charged as a class 5 felony. False Imprisonment is a class 5 felony if:
- The person uses force or threat of force to confine or detain the other person; and
- The person confines or detains the other person for twelve hours or longer.
It can also be charged as a class 5 felony if:
- The person confines or detains another person less than eighteen years of age in a locked or barricaded room under circumstances that cause bodily injury or serious emotional distress; and
- Such confinement or detention was part of a continued pattern of cruel punishment or unreasonable isolation or confinement of the child; or
- The person confines or detains another person less than eighteen years of age by means of tying, caging, chaining, or otherwise using similar physical restraints to restrict that person’s freedom of movement under circumstances that cause bodily injury or serious emotional distress.
It’s likely that the woman was charged with the misdemeanor False Imprisonment charge.
If you or someone you love has been charged with False Imprisonment, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact the best criminal defense attorneys from the O’Malley Law Office at 970-658-0007 to schedule a free initial consultation. Together, we can protect your future.
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