Colorado Springs Criminal Law Blog

Twenty-five students from Skyview Middle School in Colorado Springs have been suspended after being caught “sexting.” The 6th grade students were allegedly forwarding a picture of a naked 12-year-old girl on their cell phones. Under Colorado law, the students could be facing a felony charge for the incident. The El Paso County District Attorney received the case for review on Wednesday afternoon. He stated that in cases like this one, mandatory education and counseling is the best first step for the students.

A parent of one of the suspended students believes that Skyview may have mishandled the situation. It is questionable as to why the students were suspended from school as the text was sent after school hours. In addition, the school’s resource officer threatened the students and told them that the incident will ruin their lives, preventing them from getting a good job later in life. School officials also interrogated the students and confiscated their cell phones without alerting parents.

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Colorado’s NBC affiliate KUSA-TV recently reported that seven city blocks located near the University of Colorado served as the site of numerous acts of vandalism that ranged from theft to destruction of property. Reportedly, the acts of vandalism began early Saturday morning outside the First Congregational Church where one of the church’s doors was smashed in by a parking sign that the individuals responsible for the vandalism dislodged from the ground. The property damage continued across six more blocks, and resulted in thousands of dollars worth of damage.

According to the news story, Boulder Police did not have as many units in the area because of the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, when many University of Colorado students travel back home or out of town for the long weekend. Police investigating the random acts of vandalism are still looking for leads that may further their investigation. Depending on the total amount of damage that is determined to have been done, those responsible for the vandalism could face criminal mischief or more severe criminal charges.

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Colorado Springs police officials have arrested a juvenile on suspicion of shooting and killing a 43-year-old man, according to this KOAA news report. The man's body was found on a hiking trail near the Marvin J. Urban picnic pavilion in Palmer Park. He had died of multiple gunshot wounds, officials said. Police are not releasing the name of the suspect because he is a juvenile. The investigation is ongoing.

When a juvenile is accused of a Colorado violent crime or felony such as homicide, it could have lifelong consequences on the young person. Juvenile courts in Colorado work differently than regular courts or "adult courts." However, this does not mean that children accused of serious crimes are let off easy. The pluses to having your child's case tried in juvenile court include protection of your child's identity and privacy, and the ability to have the hearings closed to the public and media. Still, in some cases, prosecutors can ask a judge to treat the juvenile "as an adult." What this means is that your child's case could be moved to an adult court where the case could become a public spectacle. This could happen with serious crimes such as murder, homicide or sexual assault cases.

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