Top Five List if Charged with a Crime in Larimer County, Colorado

When you are Charged with a crime in Larimer County, Colorado, you must remember this top five list of  important things.  Here they are:

1. Have Reasonable Expectations of the Court Process in Larimer County
2. A Larimer County Bond includes Concern for the Safety of Government Employee’s Jobs.
3. Your Accuser is VERY Important to the Fort Collins Government.
4. The Judge, the Police, and Your “Victim” are Not on Your Side.
5. The Fort Collins Police Try to Get You to Talk So They Can Quote You Later.

We will discuss each of these below.

Inside Information About Police, DAs and Judges in Larimer County: Top Five List

If you went to apply for a new job, it would be great to have a hidden microphone in the hiring manager’s office.  You could hear people talk about you and other candidates before and after your interview.  In a similar manner, there are conversations happening among judges, police officers, and  District Attorneys.  Each of these meetings are about you – but you aren’t invited to the meeting.  Here is what our 30 years of experience can teach you about what they talk about.

1. Have Reasonable Expectations of the Court Process in Larimer County

Considering the needs and wants of DAs, victims and judges, the defense needs to be reasonable.  Don’t expect a Larimer County judge to give you a $500 bond on a felony assault charge.  Don’t expect a prosecutor to be willing to let you to travel to Nevada if you failed to appear in court a year ago.  Don’t think a victim should forgive and forget that you hurt her child.  IF there is evidence you committed a crime, there are some things which everyone in the court system expects to keep their jobs.  If you press for something unreasonable, like being able to live with the woman you hit and injured, court personnel  will think you are out of touch with reality and tighten their control over you.  Whatever you do, never react in an angry or violent way – this is a good way to get locked up tight.

2. A Larimer District Court Bond Includes Concern for the Safety of Government Employee’s Jobs.

After you are arrested, a Larimer judge must consider the amount of bond and bond conditions. Judges are concerned with “will this decision be safe from future criticism?”  Courts worry you might act crazy and hurt your victim.  So, they need to protect themselves by giving you a bond and bond conditions designed to ensure you stay away from your victim.  You will get a protection order which says never call or go near him or her.  A judge may place you on pretrial services, so these people can check in on you and your travel, any drug use and possible drinking (high risk factors).  If courts give you strict rules to follow, they will appear like they did everything possible to keep you from reoffending and to keep others safe.

3. Your Accuser is VERY Important to the Fort Collins Government

Colorado has a Victim’s Rights Act, making victims #1.  Following your arrest, Larimer County courts must listen to victims and what they have to say at EACH hearing.  This includes bond hearings, travel request hearings, modifications to bond and protection order hearings and at sentencing hearings.  Prosecutors must listen to victims too.  Finally, if judges or DAs do anything contrary to what a victim wants, they must have a good reason and put it on the record.

4. The Judge, Fort Collins Police, and Your “Victim” are Not on Your Side.

Did you know that Larimer County judges, Fort Collins Police and the “victim” are all on a team against you?  Plus, teams stick together.  Judges set bond amounts after listening to what their team wants.  They send people to the Larimer County Jail and prison after hearing what their team members want, and they are required to give the “victim” generous amounts of time to talk.  Fort Collins police officers are paid by the same people who pay prosecutors.  Judges love to “support” Larimer County Sheriff deputies.  Concerning influence, many judges are former prosecutors.  So, they personally know many of the DAs.  They talk with them about personal things.  I’ve heard prosecutors answering the questions of judges about the DA’s kids and family events.  There is a team of people who oppose you and your attorney, so don’t be surprised when they seem to have rehearsed what is going to happen to you.

5. The Fort Collins Police Try to Get You to Talk So They Can Quote You Later.

Any statements you make are written down or recorded with body cams, so they can be replayed at your jury trial.  Since this is the mark of good police work, officers love asking probing questions – and lots of them.  Later, the DA will have an arsenal of weapons to shoot you down during trial.  For example, “Mr. Wood, you just testified that you did not touch your wife during the argument.  However, you told officer Brown when he arrested you that you may have pushed her before she fell.  You were not being completely honest with the jury a moment ago, were you?  Did you lie about anything else when you testified?

6. Hell Hath no Fury Like a Woman Scorned in Larimer County – Bonus Tip

Yes, #6 is a bonus tip.  You should expect a woman you’ve hurt emotionally or physically, to try and hurt you back.  Having this expectation, do not put yourself in a place that she CAN hurt you. Stay clear of her until you and your defense attorney can talk about the best way to calm her down and restore your relationship with her. Don’t take chances until you know for sure that she is willing to help you out and that your protection order permits contact.

Each of these tips are important to keep in mind after you’ve been arrested.  We have many more tips to protect you.  Each of these are designed to give you a better, safer result in court.  And, each tip is solid because it comes from thirty years of criminal courtroom experience.  We know how to practice criminal law well.  Give our criminal defense attorneys a phone call at 970-658-0007, or set up a Zoom conference.    Together, we can protect your future.