We often see shoplifting portrayed in the media as a “cheap thrill” or a means for teenagers to act out. But as a Denver lawyer who has handled plenty of shoplifting cases, I know that the root causes for this type of crime are rarely so clear cut.

 

Shoplifting is a much larger and more widespread problem than most people think – last year alone shoplifting all over the

The philosophy of any justice system, at its most basic, is that the punishment should fit the crime.

 

For example, if someone in Denver was caught stealing a T-shirt from a department store, a rational punishment would be for them to return the jacket, pay a fine, and maybe complete a set number of community service hours. It would be cruel and unusual to send someone to prison for

A case receiving significant local and national media attention is the Domestic Violence case currently pending in Denver County Court against Colorado Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov.  The charge filed by the Denver District Attorney is Third Degree Assault, a Class 1 misdemeanor, with a maximum possible punishment of two years in the Denver County Jail.

 

The reality is that Mr. Varlamov would not serve anything close to that maximum

A commonly held misconception is that marijuana is completely legal in Colorado, and that all activities concerning marijuana are therefore also legal.  Also, whatever legal status marijuana may have in this state does not negate the fact that marijuana remains a Schedule I drug as classified by the DEA.

 

Today, news broke that federal law enforcement agents are involved in numerous enforcement actions in Colorado.  While little information beyond

When Sarah Jackson called police to report that her car had been stolen and was told that it was impounded in connection with a robbery, she never imagined that she would be treated like a suspect – but that’s exactly what happened.

 

It’s understandable that Denver police are the suspicious types when it comes to theft. Just in the last few months, a man stole a cell phone from