Recently, Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine was leaving a late night TV show taping and stopped to sign autographs. The singer, who’s current hit is ironically titled ‘Sugar,’ was greeting fans when a man threw a bag of powdered sugar in his face, covering him with the white powder. Adam Levine was not hurt by the sweet coating, but was angered by the offense. As the singer was pulled away from the crowd, the man was immediately thrown to the ground by security and arrested for Assault. That’s right, it was a very sweet 3rd Degree Assault.
What is Third Degree Assault in Larimer County?
C.R.S. 18-3-204 – Assault in the Third Degree – is defined by Colorado law as:
(a) The person knowingly or recklessly causes bodily injury to another person or with criminal negligence the person causes bodily injury to another person by means of a deadly weapon; or
(b) The person, with intent to infect, injure, harm, harass, annoy, threaten, or alarm another person whom the actor knows or reasonably should know to be a peace officer, a firefighter, an emergency medical care provider, or an emergency medical service provider, causes the other person to come into contact with blood, seminal fluid, urine, feces, saliva, mucus, vomit, or toxic, caustic, or hazardous material by any means, including throwing, tossing, or expelling the fluid or material.
Basically, in Larimer, Boulder, or Grand County, when a person causes bodily injury to another person, they are charged with 3rd Degree Assault. The law sees bodily injury as any physical pain, illness, or any impairment of physical or mental condition. In the case above, it could be argued Adam Levine suffered some sort of physical pain or emotion distress because the sugar was thrown in his face.
As a class 1 extraordinary risk crime in Fort Collins, Loveland, and Estes Park, Third Degree Assault is punishable with 6 to 24 months in the Larimer County Jail and $500-$5,000 in fines. An extraordinary risk crime has an increased maximum sentence because the crime presents an extraordinary risk of harm to society. Because these types of crimes are judged more harshly, it is imperative you have an experienced criminal defense attorney to stand next to you in court.