Charged with a Felony? Get help now!

Getting charged with a felony is one of those things that instantly flips your world upside down. One minute you’re just going about your life — maybe a mistake, maybe a misunderstanding — and the next, you’re staring down a potential prison sentence and wondering what happens next.

If you’ve been charged with a felony in Denver, don’t panic — but definitely don’t go it alone. The process is confusing, the stakes are high, and how you handle the next few weeks could change your future.So let’s walk through what to expect, from arrest to resolution, and where an experienced defense attorney fits in.

Felonies are the most serious criminal charges in Colorado. Unlike misdemeanors (which carry up to 364 days in jail), felonies can result in years of prison time, hefty fines, and a permanent criminal record that impacts everything from your job to your housing to your right to vote or own firearms. For more information on the differences, check out this post: Felonies vs. Misdemeanors: What’s the Difference?

Colorado divides felonies into classes — from Class 1 (most severe) to Class 6 (least severe) — plus separate categories for drug felonies. For example:

In Colorado, drug felonies are treated separately and are broken down into four categories (DF1 through DF4), and each level comes with very different consequences in the felony process in Denver courts.

If you’ve been arrested, this hearing may also include a bond decision — and that’s where your freedom (and wallet) come into play. The judge decides whether you’ll be released, how much your bond will be, and what conditions you’ll have to follow.

Following the initial bond hearing, it’s common that a Filing of Charges return date is set within just a few days. After the advisement, a felony complaint, information, or indictment must be filed in the proper court without unnecessary delay. This is when the DA reviews the arrest warrant or arrest documents and determines if they want to proceed with the charges you were arrested on. Basically, they review the charges law enforcement selected and make any changes necessary. This can involve reducing the number of counts, changing the subsection(s) of the charges, reducing the charges, and in some instances even downgrading the case to a misdemeanor to kick it to County Court. In rare circumstances, charges can actually get more serious at this stage, habitual criminal counts can be added, or sentence enhancers pled.

In Denver, if you’re charged with a Class 1, 2, or 3 felony, a sex offense — or most any felony where you’re in custody — you may be entitled to a preliminary hearing. This is a mini-trial where the judge decides if there’s enough evidence for your case to move forward. Basically, the judge has to determine that there is probable cause to arrest you and continue prosecution. Probable cause is a very low standard to meet, and most cases do not get thrown out at this stage (especially warrants which have already had a probable cause determination by the court).

Spoiler: the bar is low, but it’s still a great chance for your attorney to poke holes in the prosecution’s story, cross-examine witnesses, and sometimes even get the charges reduced.

If the judge finds probable cause — or if you waive your right to a prelim — the case is officially filed in district court (as opposed to county court), and you’re formally arraigned on felony charges. This is called “binding the case over” to District Court. Now you’re in the big leagues and the case can be negotiated directly with the assigned DA in front of the judge likely to hear Motions and Trial.

This is where the legal chess match happens. We’re usually attempting to “dispo” your case at pretrial conferences by negotiating with the DA. If a plea deal cannot be worked out, you may want to set your case for Trial and Motions. At the Motions Hearing, your defense attorney might file motions to Suppress Evidence, Compel Discovery, or even Sanction the Prosecution. Depending on the rulings on these Motions, Trial strategy may change, plea offers may improve (or worsen), and your defense theory may need to be moified.

If you don’t take a plea deal, the case goes to trial — usually in front of a jury. Trials can last days or even weeks depending on the complexity and number of witnesses. If you’re found not guilty, you walk out a free person. If convicted, the case moves to the sentencing phase.

Felony sentencing in Denver depends on many factors: the charge class, aggravating or mitigating circumstances, prior record, and more. The judge has wide discretion — which makes your defense strategy (and your lawyer) even more important.

The criminal justice system doesn’t wait for a conviction to mess with your life. Even just being charged with a felony can mean:

And let’s not forget the public record — anyone can search your name online and see you’ve been charged, long before guilt or innocence is decided.

Felony cases move fast in Denver. Evidence gets lost. Witnesses disappear. And the longer you wait, the fewer options you have. A skilled defense attorney can:

A: Not always. Many first-time or lower-level felonies can result in probation, community corrections, or a deferred sentence — but only if negotiated early.

A: Sometimes. This depends on the facts of the case, your record, and your lawyer’s ability to negotiate or challenge evidence.

A: Then you need an aggressive defense strategy right away. Innocent people get charged with a felony every day — and we’ve helped many prove it.

You don’t have to face this alone. Whether it’s your first time in the system or you’ve been through it before, we’re here to help you navigate it — smartly, strategically, and without judgment.

📞 Call our Denver felony defense team today. Let’s protect your rights and start working toward the best possible outcome.