Two Evergreen football players were suspended from school after being investigated for taking their bullying too far and crossing the line into criminal behavior. The 16-year-old student is facing potential Felony Menacing charges after threatening four classmates several times, at least one time using a piece of broken glass. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office is recommending Harassment charges for the 15-year-old student who targeted the same four classmates. Luckily, the two are juveniles, so there is some hope that they will be treated less harshly, but the charges are still serious.
Larimer County Menacing Lawyer: What is the Definition of Felony Menacing?
The Colorado law definition of Menacing – C.R.S. 18-3-206 – is:
(a) By the use of a deadly weapon or any article used or fashioned in a manner to cause a person to reasonably believe that the article is a deadly weapon; or
(b) By the person representing verbally or otherwise that he or she is armed with a deadly weapon.
Based on the information above, the piece of glass must be considered a deadly weapon in order to charge the 16-year-old with the felony level charge of Menacing. In Larimer, Boulder, and Grand County, if charged as an adult, the class 5 felony Menacing is punishable by 1 to 3 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections and up to $100,000 in fines.
Fort Collins Harassment Lawyer: What is the Definition of Harassment?
The Colorado law definition of Harassment – C.R.S. 18-9-111 – is:
(a) Strikes, shoves, kicks, or otherwise touches a person or subjects him to physical contact; or
(b) In a public place directs obscene language or makes an obscene gesture to or at another person; or
(c) Follows a person in or about a public place; or
(e) Directly or indirectly initiates communication with a person or directs language toward another person, anonymously or otherwise, by telephone, telephone network, data network, text message, instant message, computer, computer network, computer system, or other interactive electronic medium in a manner intended to harass or threaten bodily injury or property damage, or makes any comment, request, suggestion, or proposal by telephone, computer, computer network, computer system, or other interactive electronic medium that is obscene; or
(f) Makes a telephone call or causes a telephone to ring repeatedly, whether or not a conversation ensues, with no purpose of legitimate conversation; or
(g) Makes repeated communications at inconvenient hours that invade the privacy of another and interfere in the use and enjoyment of another’s home or private residence or other private property; or
(h) Repeatedly insults, taunts, challenges, or makes communications in offensively coarse language to, another in a manner likely to provoke a violent or disorderly response.
While it was not disclosed in the news article what exactly the 15-year-old boy is accused of doing that meets the Harassment statue, it must have been beyond the ‘normal’ bullying to warrant criminal charges. In Fort Collins, Loveland, and Estes Park, Harassment is a class 3 misdemeanor, which, for an adult, could mean up to 6 months in the Larimer County Jail and $750 in fines.