Crimes of Violence
Felony assault charges are crimes of violence. Colorado Revised Statutes §18-3-202 defines first-degree assault. This charge might be appropriate if the alleged assailant:
- Used a deadly weapon to cause serious bodily injury
- Intentionally inflicted bodily harm on a police officer, firefighter, or emergency medical service (EMS) worker
- Intentionally caused a severe injury that led to permanent disfigurement or permanent loss of function in a body part or organ system
Second-degree assault might be applicable if an alleged attack involved an intent to cause injury with a deadly weapon and resulted in physical harm to another person or intentional infliction of bodily harm without the use of a weapon. Injuring someone while interfering with an on-duty public safety officer, firefighter, or EMS personnel could also lead to an F2 charge.
Misdemeanor Assault
Third-degree assault is an M3 misdemeanor charge and is not considered a crime of violence. A prosecutor might charge M3 assault if the accused is alleged to have caused bodily injury to someone else intentionally or through recklessness. They might also do so if an individual allegedly injures someone through the negligent use of a deadly weapon. Throwing dangerous substances or bodily fluids at police, firefighters, or EMS workers could also lead to an M3 assault charge.
Penalties for Assault Crimes in Larimer County
Any assault charge could carry a prison sentence. The potential length of the sentence and the time a convicted offender might actually serve depends on whether an individual is convicted of a “crime of violence” and whether they have previous convictions for violent crimes. Our skilled lawyers could fight to get any assault charges against you in Larimer County minimized as much as possible.
Each crime carries a specific penalty. F1 assault might lead to up to 32 years in prison and a $750,000 fine. The maximum penalty for F2 assault is 16 years of incarceration and a $500,000 fine. An individual convicted of M3 assault faces a maximum of 2 years imprisonment, a $5000 fine, or both.
When a judge sentences an individual who was convicted of a crime of violence, they cannot impose less than a minimum sentence. Additionally, if the alleged offender has a prior conviction for a violent crime, the parole board will not generally hear a prisoner’s case until they have served 75 percent of their sentence.
