A preliminary hearing in Colorado is a limited court proceeding available in certain felony cases. The judge does not decide whether the accused is guilty. Instead, the prosecution must show probable cause to believe that the charged offense occurred and that the accused committed it. Although that is a much lower standard than proof beyond a reasonable doubt, the hearing can give a Denver criminal defense lawyer an early opportunity
Some crimes are more straightforward than others, depending on the number of factors that could be at play. But some crimes that seem simple could actually have a number of different charges and degrees that are associated with the act. In other words, in some cases it’s possible that the same kind of crime could result in anywhere from six months in prison… to 12 years in prison!
