Menacing is charged in Fort Collins and Larimer County when a person is accused of putting another person in fear of injury. Often, a weapon is directly involved in these types of cases. Three juveniles were recently charged with this crime after it was reported they used rifles to threaten another. According to the report, the alleged victim was dropping someone off when the teens starting threatening him, two of the teens pulling out rifles and threatening to shoot him and his dog. Police responded and the teens refused to come out of the home until a relative arrived and convinced them to follow the officer’s orders. Unfortunately for the woman, her good deed was not unpunished. Law enforcement realized that she was the only one living at the house with one of the teens and she was on felony probation, so she ended up with lots of new charges including: Possession of a Weapon by a Previous Offender, Violation of a Protection Order, Child Abuse, and Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor. It was reported one of the teens had been involved in two other Menacing cases and another weapons crime within the last year.
Larimer County Juvenile Menacing Lawyer: Definition of Menacing in Colorado
The Larimer County, Colorado law definition of Menacing – C.R.S. 18-3-206 – is:
Because the teens were accused of using rifles, and said rifles were found in the home after their arrest, they would be facing the class 5 felony charge.
Sentencing in Juvenile Menacing with Rifles Cases in Loveland and Estes Park
For most juvenile cases, incarceration is seen as a last resort. Prosecutors tend to focus on rehabilitation and restoration. They usually come with an understanding that a child is not fully developed and with some intervention, may be able to get past this and make better choice. However, the teen who had multiple other Menacing cases along with another weapon case may not get that benefit. The DA may argue a sentence to DYC (Department of Youth Corrections) is best in this situation.
If you or your child has been charged with Menacing, 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. We also practice in Greeley and Weld County. Click here to visit our Weld County website. Together, we can protect your future.
Photo by Alex Andrews