Longmont, Colorado is located near the city of Denver, about 35 miles away. Longs Peak, a prominent Rocky Mountain summit, is easily visible from Longmont, and the town is beautifully complemented by the presence of St. Vrain Creek that flows through its center.
Not every aspect of Longmont is idyllic, however. Crime happens, and the police sometimes make mistakes. If you have been accused of a crime here, remember that you are innocent until the prosecution proves you guilty. The Longmont criminal defense lawyers at Gerash Steiner Blanton, P.C., are ready to aggressively defend you.
Our Practice Areas
We are a full-service law firm. Our criminal law practice areas include:
- Domestic Violence;
- Drug Charges;
- Distribution & Trafficking;
- Drug Possession;
- Prescription Drug Crimes;
- DUI / DUID;
- Felony Crimes;
- Juvenile Crimes;
- Sex Crimes;
- Internet Sex Crimes;
- Rape;
- Theft;
- Violent Crimes; and
- White-Collar Crimes.
Don’t worry if you don’t see the crime you are charged with listed above—our vast experience covers almost every conceivable criminal charge in Colorado. There is no case too complex for our dedicated Longmont criminal defense lawyers!
Your Rights as a Colorado Criminal Defendant
As a criminal defendant, you enjoy a multitude of rights. Some of these rights are:
- The presumption of innocence. You are innocent until the prosecution proves you guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
- The right to counsel, which means the right to a lawyer.
- The right against compelled self-incrimination. The state cannot force you to confess guilt.
- The right to be free of illegal search and seizure of your person and property.
- The right to a trial by a jury of your peers.
These rights are only the tip of the iceberg. To learn about your specific case, call our Longmont criminal defense attorneys today!
Don’t Talk to the Police
If you watch TV, you have probably heard that you have the right to remain silent when confronted with the police. Take this advice and don’t talk to the police, even if they try to convince you that talking to them is in your best interests. It is not. Here are some reasons why:
- You typically cannot talk your way out of an arrest, but you can talk your way into one. When the police don’t have enough evidence to arrest you, they will try to get you to talk your way into an arrest—don’t let them.
- The police are not your priests, and they have no power to forgive your sins. You might feel better after a confession, but once you confess, their case against you becomes incredibly strong.
- The police are full of tricks to lead you to say things that make you look guilty even if you are innocent. Don’t help them along by speaking to them without your Longmont criminal lawyer present.
- The police do not have the authority to make a deal with you in exchange for a confession! Don’t let them trick you into thinking otherwise.
- Even if you are innocent, there are likely to be inconsistencies between what you tell the police and what you say in court. The prosecution can use this to destroy your credibility.
We could go on and on about why you shouldn’t talk to the police because there are a thousand reasons not to, even if you are innocent. So if you are arrested, immediately request an experienced Longmont criminal attorney and do not speak with the police until you get one.
Should You Plea Bargain or Fight It Out at Trial?
That all depends on the strength of the prosecution’s case against you. Prosecutors seek plea bargains for two main reasons: (i) to save time on busy dockets and (ii) to
“win” even with a weak case against you.
We know the difference between these two motivations. If the prosecution seeks a plea bargain because they hold a weak hand, we will see right through that. We will use that fact to either negotiate a favorable plea bargain or secure an outright dismissal. Otherwise, we are more than ready to win at trial.
The Burden of Proof
The burden of proof is entirely on the prosecution. That means that to win, all you have to do is raise a reasonable doubt in the mind of the jury. Even if a juror thinks you are probably guilty, they are obligated to acquit you if there is reasonable doubt in their minds.
Exclusion of Evidence
In a criminal trial, facts don’t matter unless the prosecution backs them up with admissible evidence. From the beginning, we will seek to exclude as much evidence as possible so that the prosecution cannot use it against you.
We will seek the exclusion of any evidence that the police gathered in violation of your constitutional rights (through an illegal search, for example). If your rights were violated, the judge is likely to grant our request because failure to do so gives us great grounds for appeal.
Awards and Recognition That Our Firm Has Received
Our ultimate measure of success lies in the restored lives of our clients. No award that the legal profession could bestow upon us could match the satisfaction we get from protecting you against the long arm of the government. Nevertheless, external recognition is nice. Here are some of the awards we are grateful to have been awarded:
- Some of our attorneys have been included in the “Best Lawyers in America®” list;
- The prestigious Martindale-Hubbell lawyer rating service has rated us a perfect 5/5 for both legal skills and ethical standards; and
- Some of our attorneys have been selected Colorado Super Lawyers®, an honor given to only the top five percent of the lawyers in each state.
You can rest assured that we endeavor to prove ourselves worthy of these honors with every new case we take on.
We’re Ready for Action
To schedule a free initial consultation, call the Longmont criminal defense attorneys of Gerash Steiner Blanton, P.C., or contact us online. Our initial consultation is free of charge, and we can even visit you in jail. Once you retain us, we will even give you our cell phone number so that we can keep in touch. All of our conversations are strictly confidential by law, and nothing you say to us can be used against you. So contact us today and see how we can help restore your life.