Colorado Springs Criminal Defense Practice Areas
CRIMINAL LAWYER MIKE MORAN
On This Page
- Criminal Defense in Colorado Springs
- DUI and Driving Offenses
- Assault, Domestic Violence, and Related Charges
- Theft, Fraud, and Property Crimes
- Drug and Weapons Charges
- Sex Crimes and Offenses Involving Children
- Misdemeanors, Felonies, and Federal Cases
- Courts, Warrants, and Probation
- Clearing Your Record
- Areas We Serve
- What to Expect When You Call
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Sources
Criminal Defense in Colorado Springs
Criminal Defense Colorado Springs, P.C. represents people charged with crimes in municipal, county, district, and federal courts across the Pikes Peak region. Attorney Michael W. Moran has been licensed to practice law in Colorado since 1995 and is a former municipal court judge, which gives him an understanding of how cases are evaluated from the bench as well as from the defense table.
The practice is limited to criminal defense and related license matters. That focus covers everything from a first-time traffic misdemeanor to a serious felony, along with the related issues that often matter just as much to clients: protection orders, driver's license hearings, warrants, probation, and clearing a record afterward.
This page is a guide to the types of cases we handle. Each section links to a detailed page explaining the law, the penalties, how cases move through court, and how charges are defended.
DUI and Driving Offenses
- DUI and DWAI: alcohol-related driving charges, including first offenses, repeat offenses, and felony DUI.
- DUID: driving under the influence of marijuana, prescription medications, or other drugs.
- DMV express consent hearings: the 7-day deadline, license revocation, early reinstatement, and interlock requirements.
- Traffic offenses: speeding, reckless and careless driving, driving under restraint, and point suspensions.
- Eluding: misdemeanor eluding a police officer and felony vehicular eluding.
Driving cases often involve both a criminal case and a license case, which move on different timelines. Addressing the DMV deadline right away is one of the most important early steps after a DUI arrest.
Assault, Domestic Violence, and Related Charges
- Domestic violence: any offense against a current or former intimate partner, with mandatory arrest, protection orders, and treatment requirements.
- Assault: first, second, and third-degree assault, including strangulation and assault on a peace officer.
- Menacing: misdemeanor menacing and felony menacing involving a weapon or simulated weapon.
- Harassment: physical contact, threatening messages, repeated calls, and stalking-related charges.
- Protection orders: contesting civil protection orders, modifying mandatory protection orders, and defending violation charges.
- Child abuse: knowing, reckless, and negligent child abuse charges and the related human services case.
Theft, Fraud, and Property Crimes
- Theft: every level of theft, motor vehicle theft, and theft from at-risk persons.
- Shoplifting: retail theft, store detentions, and civil demand letters.
- White collar crimes: embezzlement, forgery, identity theft, cybercrime, and fraud.
- Arson: all four degrees of arson, including wildfire and fire ban cases.
Drug and Weapons Charges
- Drug crimes: possession, distribution, fentanyl offenses, and treatment-based alternatives.
- Weapons charges: concealed carry, prohibited use, possession by a previous offender, transfer violations, and recent firearm laws.
Sex Crimes and Offenses Involving Children
- Sex crimes: indecent exposure, prostitution-related offenses, unlawful sexual contact, and sexual assault, including registration issues.
- Juvenile defense: cases involving young people under 18, detention hearings, school issues, and juvenile record expungement.
- Contributing to the delinquency of a minor: charges against adults involving underage drinking, drugs, and other offenses by minors.
Misdemeanors, Felonies, and Federal Cases
- Misdemeanors: class 1 and class 2 misdemeanors, petty offenses, and the outcomes that keep a conviction off your record.
- Felonies: Colorado's six felony classes, sentencing ranges, bond, and alternatives to prison.
- Federal crimes: federal investigations and charges, including offenses on Fort Carson, Peterson and Schriever Space Force Bases, and the Air Force Academy.
Most criminal cases in Colorado are misdemeanors, but even a misdemeanor conviction creates a public record. Understanding the classification of a charge, and the realistic sentence rather than the statutory maximum, is the starting point for any defense.
Courts, Warrants, and Probation
- Colorado Springs Municipal Court: city ordinance violations, penalties, and the 21-day jury trial deadline.
- Warrants: how to check for a warrant in Colorado and how warrants are cleared.
- Probation violations: technical violations, new charges, deferred judgment revocations, and revocation hearings.
Courts We Appear In
- El Paso County Court and District Court, El Paso County Judicial Building, 270 S. Tejon Street
- Colorado Springs Municipal Court, 224 E. Kiowa Street
- Teller County Combined Court in Cripple Creek
- Pueblo County and Fremont County courts
- Municipal courts in Fountain, Manitou Springs, Monument, Woodland Park, and other nearby cities
- U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
Clearing Your Record
A case does not have to define your future. Colorado has expanded record sealing in recent years, and many dismissed cases, misdemeanors, and lower-level felonies can be sealed. Juvenile records can often be expunged. See our record sealing page for waiting periods, eligibility, and the Clean Slate law.
The way a case is resolved often decides whether it can ever be sealed. That is one reason to think about the long-term record before accepting any plea.
Areas We Serve
We represent clients throughout the Pikes Peak region and southern Colorado, including Colorado Springs, Fountain, Security-Widefield, Manitou Springs, Monument, Palmer Lake, Calhan, Woodland Park, Pueblo, and Cañon City. See our service areas page for local information about each community.
Many of our clients are connected to the military community at Fort Carson, Peterson and Schriever Space Force Bases, and the Air Force Academy. Criminal charges can create additional issues for service members, including command notification, security clearances, and base access, and those concerns are part of the defense strategy.
What to Expect When You Call
- A free, confidential consultation. We talk about what happened, the charges or investigation, and any deadlines, such as a DMV hearing or court date.
- An honest assessment. You will hear the realistic range of outcomes, the strengths and weaknesses of the case, and the options available.
- Early action. When needed, we act quickly on bond, protection orders, warrants, evidence preservation, and license deadlines.
- A clear plan. We explain each step of the case and keep you informed as it develops.
No lawyer can promise a particular result. What a lawyer can do is make sure the evidence is tested, the law is applied correctly, and your side of the story is presented effectively.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of cases does Criminal Defense Colorado Springs handle?
We handle criminal defense and related license matters, including DUI, domestic violence, assault, theft, drug, weapons, sex crimes, juvenile, federal, and municipal cases, as well as DMV hearings, protection orders, warrants, probation violations, and record sealing.
Do I need a lawyer for a misdemeanor?
You are not required to have one, but a misdemeanor conviction creates a criminal record and can affect jobs, housing, immigration, and firearm rights. A lawyer can often find defenses or negotiate outcomes that avoid a conviction.
Is the first consultation free?
Yes. Consultations are free and confidential.
Do you handle cases outside Colorado Springs?
Yes. We handle cases throughout El Paso, Teller, Pueblo, and Fremont counties, and in federal court.
What should I do right after an arrest?
Do not discuss the case with police or others, follow any bond conditions and protection orders, note your court date, and contact a lawyer as soon as possible. After a DUI arrest, also note the 7-day deadline to request a DMV hearing.
Sources
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