How serious are Sex Crime charges in Colorado?
Have you already been charged with a sex crime in the state of Colorado and are curious about how serious of a situation this is? The first step is identifying whether or not you have been accused of misdemeanor or felony sex charges in Colorado.
The sooner you hire a lawyer, the more you will understand about any misdemeanor charges. If you are facing more than one charge at a time, your lawyer can give you an honest assessment of what you’re looking at in developing a strategy to defend yourself.
How Does Colorado Treat Misdemeanors?
Most misdemeanor sex crimes in Colorado are classified as M1. These are Class 1 misdemeanors and are the most severe misdemeanor that you can be charged with. Being convicted of a Class 1 misdemeanor has long-lasting penalties and consequences. Someone who has been convicted of a Class 1 misdemeanor is facing up to $5000 in fines, as long as two years in county jail and the possibility of jail and probation. This is in addition to any other costs or embarrassments that you may encounter when being accused of a sex crime. Some of the two most common misdemeanor sex crimes facing offenders in Colorado include indecent exposure and misdemeanor unlawful sexual conduct.
Classes of Felonies
Although there are other misdemeanor sex crimes in this category, there are not charged as frequently as these two. Felony sex crimes, however, come in a broad variety of life-changing formats and consequences. These can be charged as high as a Class 2 felony sex crime or as low as Class 6 felony sex crime.
Class 5 and 6 sex felonies are those considered determinate sex crimes which means that they do not carry lifelong consequences. Other more serious sex crime offenses, however, include sexual assault and sexual assault on a child, which do carry lifelong consequences for someone who has been convicted. Any felony sex offense in Colorado, whether determinate or indeterminate, carries requirements like felony sex offender probation, loss of your freedoms and lifetime sex offender registration. Take your situation seriously be retaining a knowledgeable Colorado criminal defense lawyer.