Criminal Penalties In Colorado
In Colorado there are three categories of criminal charges: petty offenses, misdemeanor offenses, and felony offenses.
Petty Offenses in Colorado – Laws & Penalties:
Petty offenses are the least serious of criminal charges, but still carry the potential for jail time and a mark on your criminal record.
Petty offenses carry a potential sentence of 10 days in jail and fines up to $300.
Colorado Misdemeanor Offenses:
Slightly more serious than petty offenses, misdemeanors bring longer jail terms and heftier fines.
Class 1 Misdemeanor Up to 364 days in jail plus up to $1000 fine.
Class 2 Misdemeanor Up to 120 days in jail plus up to $750 fine.
Drug Misdemeanors:
- DM Level 1: Fines from $500 to $5,000; imprisonment from 6 to 18 months, or both.
- DM Level 2: Fines from $50 to $750; no imprisonment.
Colorado Felony Offenses:
Felonies are the most serious of criminal offenses. Under Colorado law, felonies carry serious prison terms and fines.
Regular or non-drug related felonies (committed on or after July 1, 2018) in Colorado are divided into Class 1 to Class 6 with Class one having the most severe punishment and Class 6 having the least punishment. Punishment may also include fines, probation, and parole. The six classes of felonies with their ranges of penalties are:
- Class 1 felony: From life imprisonment to death, no fines.
- Class 2 felony: Fines from $5,000 to $1,000,000; imprisonment from 8 to 24 years, exceptional circumstances 8 to 48 years.
- Class 3 felony: Fines from $3,000 to $750,000; imprisonment from 4 to 12 years, exceptional circumstances 4 to 32 years.
- Class 4 felony: Fines from $2,000 to $500,000; imprisonment from 2 to 6 years, exceptional circumstances 1 to 16 years.
- Class 5 felony: Fines from $1,000 to $100,000; imprisonment from 1 year to 3 years, exceptional circumstances 6 months to 8 years.
- Class 6 felony: Fines from $1,000 to $100,000; imprisonment from 1 year to 18 months, exceptional circumstances 6 months to 4 years.
Note: Colorado stopped being a death penalty state after bill SB20–100 which repealed the state’s death penalty laws was passed On February 26, 2020. This bill applied to felonies charged on or after July 1, 2020.
Drug Felonies:
These have to do with crimes relating to the possession, sales, or administration of drugs in Colorado. Apart from imprisonment, penalties may include fines, probation, and voluntary attendance to certain programs. The four levels of drug felonies (committed on or after October 1, 2013) with their ranges of penalties are:
- Level 1 drug felonies: Fines from $5,000 to $1,000,000; imprisonment from 8 to 32 years. Mandatory parole period of 3 years and aggravated range from 12 to 32 years.
- Level 2 drug felonies: Fines from $3,000 to $750,000; imprisonment from 4 to 8 years. Mandatory parole period of 2 years and aggravated range from 8 to 16 years.
- Level 3 drug felonies: Fines from $2,000 to $500,000; imprisonment from 2 to 4 years. Mandatory parole period of 1 year and aggravated range from 4 to 6 years.
- Level 4 drug felonies: Fines from $1,000 to $100,000; imprisonment from 6 months to 1 year. Mandatory parole period of 1 year and aggravated range from 1 year to 2 years.
Aside from what the statutes recommend the judge will also take your criminal history and other factors about you into consideration. That information is compiled in a pre-sentence report.