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For a second consecutive year, Denver DUI attorney Jay Tiftickjian was voted Colorado’s “best DUI attorney” in the State’s official bar journal, Law Week Colorado. Jay received the most votes out of any practice area in the annual poll of lawyers and judges. Tiftickjian practices in the areas of DUI defense and major traffic offenses. […]

The Drug Recognition Evaluation in a DUI Case

There has been much discussion about Colorado’s new THC inference of 5 nanograms, but this is not the only device used by prosecutors and law enforcement to secure a conviction for drugged driving. Most police officers with a heavy DUI caseload are being trained in drug recognition. These self-titled “drug recognition evaluators” (DRE) are police […]

Do I Need a DUI Attorney in Colorado?

Being accused of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs in Colorado is a serious offense, and if you are convicted it will stay on your driving record and criminal history forever. It is also costly, with fines of up to $1000, not to mention the mandatory court surcharges and funds that are specific […]

How do I prepare for a DMV Hearing?

Q: I was arrested for DUI and have a DMV hearing pending. How do I prepare for the DMV hearing? Answer: If you were arrested for driving under the influence in Colorado, chances are you have a pending DMV case as well as your criminal court case. The DMV hearing regards your privilege to drive […]

Deferred Judgments and DUI cases in Colorado

Can I receive a deferred judgment (DJ) for a DUI in Colorado? I was recently charged with DUI and a number of other traffic charges in Denver, CO. Can I receive a deferred judgment in court so I can avoid being convicted and having this on my permanent record? Answer: Deferred judgments, often referred to […]

Can I get a DUI for Sleeping in a Parked Car?

I was sleeping in the car and got arrested for DUI? Do I have a defense if I wasn’t driving? In Colorado, to prove DUI, the prosecution not only must prove that you were under the influence of alcohol or drugs, but also that you were driving a vehicle. Often, the most defensible case in […]

How does a Denver Drug Court Sentence Work?

The Denver Drug Court is an alternative to criminal prosecution or in some cases a worse conviction or sentence. Similar to Denver’s specialized DUI program, the drug court deals solely in these type of offense. If you were charged with felony drug possession, the Denver DA’s Office will screen you and your case for eligibility into Drug Court. […]

What is a “Wobbler” in Colorado Drug Law?

In 2013, the Colorado legislature extensively amended the existing offenses and penalties relating to marijuana offenses and drug offenses in general. New to the revisions to the criminal code comes the “wobbler,” which now allows a person convicted of a drug felony the opportunity to potentially get the conviction changed to a misdemeanor after the […]

Colorado Supreme Court Rejects State’s Use of “Preliminary” Breath Test for “Impeachment” Purposes When investigating a driver for a suspected DUI, police routinely ask the suspect to consent to a “preliminary” breath test, conducted by means of a portable device. Suspects are often told that the results are merely to assist the officer in the […]

According to 9News, The Colorado Department of Health revealed that there are problems with the State’s new Intoxilyzer 9000, and it will not certify the results of dozens of tests that occurred over the past year, many of which were likely to have been used to convict citizens arrested for DUI. While the CDPHE is […]

In Split Decision, Colorado Supreme Court Affirms Suppression of Warrantless Blood Draw Today, the Colorado Supreme Court issued its opinion in People v. Schaufele, __ P.3d __  (2014 CO 43) and, in a 5-2 decision, rejected an attempt by prosecutors to reverse a suppression order by the Arapahoe County District Court, which was premised on […]

Driving under the influence (DUI) or drunk driving are terms that both carry the dubious distinction of a severe wrongdoing. After all, there is little sympathy in the court of public opinion for those who choose to get behind the wheel after a night of excessive drinking. Especially those who end up getting in an […]

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