An assault charge can grow out of a single night, a heated argument, or an accusation that proves more tangled than it first appeared. Under Colorado law the injury alleged and the surrounding facts decide how serious an assault charge is, and a jump from misdemeanor to felony can change a case entirely.
Our firm, Shazam Kianpour & Associates, handles assault cases for clients in Brighton and across Adams County. This page walks through the degrees of assault, how penalties are determined, and the best early steps. The attorney profile covers the attorney’s background.
Accused of assault?
Before you describe the incident to officers, the other person, or friends, speak with a lawyer. Anything you say may be used in the case.
Statutory labels like these describe the law and do not predict any particular case. A charge remains an accusation until proven.
Colorado ties penalty ranges to the class of the offense, and higher degrees of assault fall into higher classes. A judge considers the facts, the defendant’s record, and other factors, and some assault convictions carry extra consequences beyond the sentence. A lawyer can explain where your charge falls.
Early in a case, a judge may set bond conditions such as no contact with the other person, limits on where you can go, or restrictions on firearms. Breaking a condition can lead to bond being revoked, so read each term closely and ask your lawyer about anything unclear.
Menacing and reckless endangerment are often charged in similar situations, and so is harassment. If the person hurt is a current or former partner, prosecutors may add a domestic violence designation and a protection order. See our Brighton domestic violence page. For city-level cases, see municipal assault charges.
Colorado permits force used to defend yourself or another person (C.R.S. 18-1-704). The force has to match what you reasonably believed was needed, and deadly force is allowed only when someone faces imminent danger of death or great bodily injury. If you provoked the encounter or started it, the defense narrows. Everything turns on the particular facts.
Other points can decide a case too, including who else was there, what the physical evidence says about how an injury happened, what witnesses reported, and whether the written and recorded accounts agree.
We read the police reports and review any video, photographs, medical records, and witness statements, and then explain what each account means for the charge. We discuss your options openly. Each case is different, and no lawyer can guarantee a result.
Brighton is in Adams County, where the 17th Judicial District Attorney prosecutes misdemeanor and felony cases. The Adams County Justice Center is in Brighton, and some city ordinance cases go to Brighton Municipal Court. More is on our Brighton criminal defense page.
Shazam Kianpour’s background and education appear in the attorney profile. Your first consultation is free. Reach us at (303) 825-1075 or through the contact form. The information here is general and does not replace legal advice.
No. Third degree is a misdemeanor. Second and first degree are felonies, and the exact classification turns on the circumstances.
Obey your bond conditions and any protection order, discuss the incident only with your lawyer, and keep your paperwork and court dates in order.
Be careful. Contact can violate a protection order or a bond term, and anything you say may be used in the case. Speak with your lawyer first.
Possibly, depending on the facts, including how much force was used and who provoked the confrontation. A lawyer can go over the details with you.
The charge may include a domestic violence designation, along with a protection order and other consequences. Our Brighton domestic violence page explains more.
Written by
Shazam KianpourDenver Criminal Defense Attorney & Founder, Shazam Kianpour & Associates, P.C.
