Colorado Springs Criminal Law Blog

Despite recent news reports of a rash of violent crimes taking place in the Colorado Springs area, the crime rate for the city and surrounding areas as a whole has not increased, according to a recent article in The Tribune. Although the population has risen, the number of total crimes has not risen with it.

Development on the north side of the Colorado Springs area has brought more people and businesses to the city, but local police say that violent crimes haven’t increased as a result of the newly-developed areas. According to officers in Palmer Lake and Monument, theft and domestic violence remain the most commonly-charged types of crimes. More violent encounters, such as robberies, assaults, and homicides, occur in Colorado Springs at about the same rate they did before the new developments, indicating that these new communities are not creating more crimes or attracting people who might commit crimes.

The question whether crime was increasing in the Colorado Springs area arose after four lives were lost in one night, due to what police believe was criminal activity. The deaths include one person who is believed to have been the victim of a carjacking, along with the deaths of three teenagers. Police are still investigating these deaths, but say that the fatalities, while tragic, do not appear to be part of a larger “crime spree” in the area.

If you have been charged with a violent crime in Colorado, please don’t hesitate to call the experienced Colorado Springs violent crime defense lawyers at The Bussey Law Firm, P.C. Attorney Timothy Bussey has the legal resources and practical experience that is required to protect your legal rights while pursuing the best possible outcome. For a free and confidential consultation, call Mr. Bussey today at 719-475-2555.

A woman faces murder charges in Colorado after she stabbed two burglars, killing one of them, after they broke into her home around 2:00 a.m., according to The New York Daily News. The two men broke into her home in Erie, where she grew medical marijuana.

While one of the burglars was able to escape to a friend’s house nearby, he was nonetheless critically injured as a result of the stab wounds. The other burglar was later found dead from his wounds at the edge of the woman’s property. Although the woman reportedly admitted to stabbing both burglars, recent news from GreeleyTribune.com states that the fatal victim was found to have died from gunshot wounds, not stabbing wounds.

Even as details continue to unfold in the case, the woman may be able to successfully fight the murder charges using Colorado’s “Make My Day” law, which allows for the use of deadly force against an intruder, based on the right that all Colorado citizens “have a right to expect absolute safety within their own homes.”

According to the law (18-1-704.5), “…any occupant of a dwelling is justified in using any degree of physical force, including deadly physical force, against another person when that other person has made an unlawful entry into the dwelling, and …such other person has committed a crime in the dwelling…or is committing or intends to commit a crime against a person or property… and when the occupant reasonably believes that such other person might use any physical force, no matter how slight, against any occupant.” Under this law, any home occupant using physical force, deadly or otherwise, in the aforementioned circumstances is immune from criminal prosecution and any civil liability for the use of and results of said force.

There are many laws in the state of Colorado that govern the use of physical force. It may be warranted in certain situations and not in others, but the existence of so many laws can create confusion. If you or someone you know has been charged with a crime in Colorado, the skilled criminal defense attorney in Colorado Springs, Timothy Bussey of The Bussey Law Firm, P.C., can help you protect your legal rights and ensure that you are treated fairly under the appropriate laws. For a free initial consultation, contact Mr. Bussey today at 719-475-2555.

A Colorado Springs jury is considering the evidence in the case of a local man accused of murdering his elderly father, according to a recent article in the Colorado Springs Gazette. The 32-year-old Colorado Springs resident was charged with second-degree murder and tampering with evidence after police found his father’s body in a trash can outside their house.

According to the defendant, he came home and found that someone had beaten his father to death on their porch. Not wanting to leave the disposal of his father’s remains to someone else, he placed his father’s body in a nearby trash can, and then called 911. An autopsy showed that his father had been beaten in the head. At trial, the man’s attorneys pointed out that the police missed several key clues that might have led them to the killer.

The prosecution’s version of the story was that the man had beaten his father to death with a rake, which has not been found. According to the prosecution, the man then put his father’s body in the trash can, took a shower, changed his shoes, and then called emergency services.

Criminal charges mean serious consequences for the person accused, even if the charges are not proved in court. This is especially true in the case of charges for violent crimes, which can result in the loss of jobs, professional licenses, friends, and present other life-long consequences. Colorado Springs murder defense attorney Timothy Bussey has the experience to defend your legal rights in court if you face charges for a violent offense. He will fight for the best possible outcome in your case. Call The Bussey Law Firm P.C. today at 719-475-2555 for a free and confidential consultation.

Mary Malatesta, Denver’s new Safety Manager, plans to reopen cases of alleged police brutality and discipline the officers involved, according to a recent report by Colorado CW affiliate KWGN.

Ms. Malatesta was sworn in as Safety Manager after the resignation of former Safety Manager Ron Perea. Mr. Perea left the job after rumors surfaced that he had failed to investigate or discipline officers allegedly involved in episodes of police brutality. In particular, Mr. Perea chose not to fire two officers who were caught on camera beating a Denver resident, instead arguing that he had done enough by docking their pay.

Other reported instances of police brutality include a dog owner who was allegedly beaten by police and an inmate who died in the Denver County Jail.

Police brutality is a particularly troubling form of assault. The victim is often helpless and left with nowhere to turn for help after the assault occurs. They may be left with permanent injuries or may face criminal charges merely for attempting to defend themselves. Victims of police brutality in Colorado may also find themselves admitting to crimes they did not commit in order to stop an assault.

If you have been charged with a crime in Colorado, you have several legal rights, including the right to be free of physical harm. If police brutality has interfered with your case, it would be highly beneficial to seek the help of an experienced Colorado Springs criminal defense lawyer. The attorneys at The Bussey Law Firm, P.C. will fight hard to defend your rights in court and ensure the best possible outcome in your case. Call skilled attorney Timothy Bussey today at 719-475-2555 for a free and confidential consultation.

A man facing murder charges in Colorado may go free if the court finds his right to a speedy trial has been violated, according to local news channel KRDO. The defendant was arrested in September 2008 and charged with stabbing and killing a 38-year-old man outside a Pueblo bar. A year and a half later, his trial has still not begun.

Under Colorado law, setting a trial date is the prosecutor’s responsibility. The prosecutor has six months to bring a defendant to trial after the defendant enters his not-guilty plea. In this case, the first trial date was withdrawn after the court learned that an investigator for the public defender’s office had an inappropriate relationship with one of the prosecution’s witnesses in this case. For unknown reasons, a second trial date was never set.

The defendant and his current attorney are seeking to have the case dismissed because of the year and a half delay in bringing the defendant to trial. They state that the delay has violated the defendant’s right to a speedy trial under both the U.S. Constitution and the Colorado Constitution.

In the United States, when someone is charged with a crime, the U.S. Constitution and the state constitutions provide the accused with certain legal rights. When these rights, such as the right to a speedy trial, are violated, they undermine the accused person’s ability to receive a fair trial. Protecting your rights when you’ve been charged with a violent crime is the top priority of an experienced Colorado violent crime attorney. At The Bussey Law Firm P.C., our lawyers strive to make sure your rights are respected while seeking the best possible outcome in your case. If you have been accused of a crime in Colorado, please call The Bussey Law Firm P.C. today at 719-475-2555 for a free and confidential consultation.

A footprint made in blood and depicting a K-Swiss running shoe led police to arrest a slain man’s roommate recently, according to an article in the Colorado Springs Gazette. The roommate has been charged with first-degree murder in Colorado Springs for allegedly stabbing the victim to death.

The accused man was arrested two days after the murder. He told police that he had only knocked on the apartment door the day the victim was found dead. He said he did not go inside, did not know the victim, and did not live at the apartment. However, the victim’s other roommate, who found the body, said that he and the victim shared the apartment with the accused man.

Other eyewitnesses have also come forward. One woman said she saw the accused carrying two duffel bags and walking quickly away from the apartment building several hours before the victim’s body was discovered. While investigating, law enforcement officials found a shoe print on a bed sheet used to cover the victim’s body. Police have yet to find the knife they say was used to kill the victim.

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A 37-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a woman's murder in Colorado Springs. Her body was discovered lying face down in a ditch by a school bus driver on February 10. According to this news report in the Denver Post, the suspect was arrested for investigation of first-degree murder in Colorado. He was also charged with possession of a weapon by a previous offender. The suspect apparently also has prior convictions for illegal drug possession and assault from a separate case in 2006, the news article states.

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