A criminal charge in Lakewood can reshape your life before you ever set foot in the Jefferson County Combined Court. Whether the arrest happened on Wadsworth Boulevard, near the Belmar shopping district, or anywhere across western Jefferson County, the clock starts the moment charges are filed, and what happens in the first days and weeks carries disproportionate weight.
Shazam Kianpour & Associates, P.C. has defended criminal cases in Jefferson County courts for more than 22 years, and our office is located in Denver’s Capitol Hill neighborhood roughly 15 minutes from Lakewood via US-6 West. With more than 10,000 criminal cases handled, we know the local prosecutors, the judges, and the procedural habits that shape how a case resolves. If you are facing charges in Lakewood or the surrounding area, let us be your first call.
Lakewood is Colorado’s fifth-largest city and holds Jefferson County’s largest urban population. State-law cases are prosecuted at the Jefferson County Combined Court in Golden, while Lakewood Municipal Court handles city ordinance violations and lower-level offenses. We defend the full spectrum of criminal charges, from federal offenses to serious felonies.
Drunk Driving Charges: Defending charges related to DUI, DWAI, DUID, DUI per se.
Drug crimes: Minimizing the consequences of drug offenses from possession or trafficking.
Violent crimes: Protecting your future from serious allegations of violence, including domestic abuse.
Weapons charges: Doing everything in our power to keep your Second Amendment rights intact.
Sex crimes: Handling sensitive sex offenses with the utmost care and confidentiality.
White collar crime: Applying meticulous attention to detail in your white collar criminal defense to preserve your career.
Federal crimes: Navigating the complexities of federal law to serve your interests.
We also regularly handle cases involving two or more overlapping charges that can compound your sentence, along with matters tied to governmental or administrative investigations and disciplinary proceedings. Whatever the charge, do not speak with law enforcement or the prosecution before consulting an attorney. Every statement you make can be used against you.
Lakewood clients can also go straight to the practice area that fits their situation, including DUI and DWAI defense, domestic violence, assault charges, sex crime allegations, and traffic violations.
Most Lakewood cases are prosecuted at the Jefferson County Combined Court at 100 Jefferson County Parkway in Golden. Lakewood Municipal Court, at 445 S. Allison Parkway, handles city ordinance matters independently, and a single incident can sometimes generate a case in both venues.
A case typically moves from arrest and booking to an advisement hearing where bond is set, then to arraignment, and for felonies a preliminary hearing where the prosecution must establish probable cause. Pre-trial motions follow, and this is often where cases are won or substantially narrowed. Motions to suppress evidence obtained through an unlawful stop or search, to dismiss for lack of probable cause, or to exclude prejudicial statements can end a case before trial. Many matters resolve through negotiated agreements, and knowing what constitutes a genuinely favorable offer in Jefferson County is where local experience pays. When no acceptable resolution exists, we are prepared to try the case.
Colorado sentencing is tiered by offense class. Petty offenses carry limited jail exposure but still surface on background checks. Class 1 misdemeanors are the most serious misdemeanor tier. Felony classes run from Class 6 through Class 1, and aggravating circumstances, prior convictions, or a designated crime of violence can push a presumptive sentence upward considerably.
The collateral consequences frequently outlast the sentence itself. They can include professional licensing problems, immigration consequences for non-citizens, sex offender registration, and restrictions on firearm ownership. A DUI arrest also triggers a Department of Revenue administrative proceeding against your license that runs parallel to the criminal case, so losing the DMV hearing can cost you your license even if the criminal matter is later dismissed. Colorado’s statute of limitations under C.R.S. 16-5-401 sets filing deadlines that vary by offense class.
Shazam Kianpour began his career as a government state defender before moving into private criminal defense, which gives him direct insight into how Jefferson County prosecutors build cases and where those cases are vulnerable. He graduated law school with honors, finished top of his class in criminal law, and is a member of the Colorado Bar Association, the Denver Bar Association, the American Association for Justice, and the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar. Our attorneys appear regularly at the Jefferson County Combined Court in Golden and at Lakewood Municipal Court.
We work as a cohesive team rather than a revolving door. Mr. Kianpour, Eric Chenoweth, and the rest of our attorneys have worked together for more than a decade and handle cases collectively, with each reviewing the others’ work. We file suppression motions, challenge probable cause, and investigate independently, because cases are frequently won or narrowed long before trial. Initial consultations are free. Reach out through our contact form to schedule yours, and we will start building your defense without delay.
Written by
Shazam KianpourDenver Criminal Defense Attorney & Founder, Shazam Kianpour & Associates, P.C. — Over 10,000 criminal and traffic cases handled across Colorado.
