The phrase weapons charges encompass many criminal violations, including assault with a deadly weapon, possession of a weapon by a previous offender (POWPO), charges involving concealed weapons, and even some drug crimes where a weapon may have been involved or even merely present.
If a gun or other weapon was involved in the case, the consequences of the crime are increased dramatically. One example is Colorado’s Special Offender law, which provides that when a drug offense is committed and a deadly weapon also is present on the defendant’s person or within his immediate reach during the commission of said drug offense, or when the defendant or his confederate possess a firearm either to which they had access to that firearm in a manner posing a risk to others or simply is present in a vehicle during the commission of a drug offense, then special offender charges can be brought against said defendant. Special offender charges constitute a class 2 felony, and thus are a very serious matter.
Even if a crime is not being committed, possession of a deadly weapon by a prior offender also is a very serious offense. A person commits the crime of POWPO when they knowingly use, possess, or carry upon his or her person a firearm, subsequent to their conviction for a felony, in any state, including Colorado. These charges are serious and can be brought alongside charges such as robbery or drug charges. One possible defense to a POWPO charge is possession of a firearm at the defendant’s home for purposes of self-defense.
Colorado’s new field drug test law changes what may happen after police use a color-changing test on a suspected controlled substance. For offenses committed on or after March 26, 2026, Colorado House Bill 26-1020 limits arrests in certain low-level possession cases and requires judges to give defendants a specific warning before accepting certain drug possession pleas.
The law does not prevent police from investigating suspected drug possession, and it does
A serious Colorado crash can become a felony investigation before the driver leaves the hospital. Vehicular assault applies when reckless or impaired driving proximately causes serious bodily injury. Vehicular homicide applies when the same type of driving proximately causes a death. Depending on the allegations, police and prosecutors may also consider DUI or DWAI, reckless or careless driving, or leaving the scene of a crash.
Missing a Colorado sex offender registration deadline can expose you to a separate criminal charge. A short delay is not automatically excused, and registering late does not necessarily erase the missed deadline. At the same time, missing a deadline is not the same as a conviction. The prosecution generally must prove a knowing failure to comply, and the exact notice, deadline, jurisdiction, and surrounding facts can matter.
