Background Checks for Guns Increased by 40%, FBI Reports Global pandemic. School and business closures. Unstable economy. Nationwide protests. Police brutality. The desire for self-protection. These are some leading factors that may have resulted in the increase in gun sales in 2020. The FBI reported performing over 4.3 million firearm background checks in January 2021 alone, compared to 2.7...
Continue ReadingIs Assault a Felony in Colorado? Unlike many other states, Colorado divides assault into 3 degrees, with first and second-degree assault being known as “aggravated assault” and third-degree assault being the same as simple assault. As such, our lawyers often get asked, “Is assault a felony in Colorado?” The answer: It depends. First and second-degree assaults are felonies, while...
Continue ReadingHow Does Prosecutorial Misconduct Affect Cases? Prosecutors are government lawyers who handle investigations and/or prosecutions of criminal offenses. Their goal is to protect the public and adhere to their government duties by working to put criminals behind bars. In Berger v. United States, 1953, the court held that the prosecutor “is in a peculiar and very definite sense the servant...
Continue Reading“The Drugs Weren’t Mine” Defense Drug crime suspects often tell police officers, “Officer, those are not my drugs!” While that is a common defense people use upon their arrest, that does not mean it is a lie. It is possible to get arrested for possessing drugs that didn’t belong to you, and it is possible to get acquitted of...
Continue ReadingEconomic Abuse Is a Form of Domestic Violence 26 million Americans lost their jobs in the first five weeks of the 2020 lockdown. Although the unemployment rate has decreased since then, that does not mean the US economy is up and running again. Millions of people remain unemployed or are working part-time until things go back to normal. These...
Continue ReadingCan You go to Jail for Sexting? In this day and age, everything is digital. People can access a wealth of content and the tip of their fingers. It’s easier than ever to send and receive photos, videos, texts, calls, and the like, but with great power comes great responsibility. That being said, sexting is a relatively new phenomenon...
Continue ReadingAvoid a DUI on St. Patrick’s Day St. Patricks’ Day is just around the corner, falling on Wednesday, March 17th of this year. But before you and your friends dress up in green-colored outfits and hit the bars for a night out, you must have a safety plan in place. This is because St. Patrick’s Day is not as lucky...
Continue ReadingWhat Is the Meaning of Child Grooming? Adults who build stable and trusting relationships with a child under 18 for the purpose of sexually assaulting the minor are considered groomers. As such, you could face state and federal charges for child grooming if the alleged victim is under 15. Oftentimes, child groomers have existing relationships with a victim. They could be a family member, teacher, employer, or other adult...
Continue ReadingUnderstanding Online Impersonation Crimes Catfishing has become a significant cultural phenomenon that relies on deception to lure another person into a relationship or target them in harmful ways. Over the past decade, catfishing has become widely understood to be the practice of creating a fake online identity to target a specific victim for abuse or fraud. This typically occurs...
Continue ReadingBeware: Illicit Activities Are Frequent on Halloween Night Halloween is a beloved holiday for many Americans, allowing them to dress-up, trick-or-treat and party. However, like with all good things, your Halloween celebration can quickly come to an end. Crimes are often committed at a higher rate on holidays like New Year’s Eve, Labor Day and Halloween. As Halloween quickly...
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