Felony DUI

DUI Attorney in Denver, Colorado

Felony driving under the influence (DUI) charges have been added to Colorado State's legislation, shifting the state into the vast majority of others in the nation that have adopted this policy for quite some time. Under this new law, the fourth DUI charge would be counted as a felony offense, whereas in the past all DUIs were misdemeanors at worst, regardless of the number of previous convictions – assuming no other serious violations were tied to the arrest. If you have been arrested for a DUI in Colorado, you might be facing extreme consequences in the future. Prepare to defend yourself with the help of our Denver DUI lawyer from M. Trent Trani & Associates, P.C.

Our lead attorney, Mr. Trani, has even been named in the list of National Trial Lawyers: Top 100 Lawyers and the National Advocacy for DUI Defense. The achievements showcase not only his ability to fully comprehend DUI cases and their details but also challenge and defeat the prosecution's claims. Start your defense right away by requesting your own free initial case evaluation.

Specific Details Regarding Felony DUIs in Colorado

The decision to allow a simple DUI to eventually be listed as a felony is still somewhat new to lawmakers and citizens of Colorado. Understanding the new specifics could help you in your case, if you find yourself under arrest for DUI violations.

1. Penalties: A conviction for a felony DUI could include penalties as harsh as 6 years in prison and up to half-a-million dollars in fines.
2. Discretion: Judges will be permitted to waive a felony DUI and lessen it to a misdemeanor if you can prove that you did not pose a risk that was "unacceptable" to the safety of society.
3. Combined crimes: Nearly any moving violation can be considered for your DUI to be escalated to a felony, meaning if you were convicted for vehicular homicide, vehicular assault, and a DUID in the past, a nonviolent simple DUI arrest could be bumped up to a felony.
4. State-hopping: Prior DUI convictions do not have to occur in Colorado for Colorado State to consider your fourth DUI as a felony. For example, you could have three convictions in New York, get arrested once in Colorado, and immediately face a felony charge.
5. IID: The state may now punish first-, second-, and third-time DUI offenders with a mandatory ignition interlock device (IID) for two to five years, up from only one.

Heavy-Hitting Legal Advocacy

At our law firm, we take the gloves off when it comes to matters of protecting our clients' freedoms, but we also always act compassionately towards our clients themselves. We believe this duality of caring for the people we represent and tenacity in the courtroom has allowed us to achieve success after success in the DUI and criminal defense cases we have handled, as our long list of past client testimonials can attest.