I am a Colorado criminal defense attorney with 20 years of experience. I am a former prosecutor (14 years) and have extensive courtroom and trial experience. I have participated all levels of criminal offenses ranging from Traffic Offenses, Misdemeanors to serious felonies, including First Degree Murder. I am one of the country's foremost experts on legal marijuana and marijuana impaired driving. I lecture throughout the country and internationally on the subject. I have spent the better part of a decade training law enforcement and prosecutors how to do DUI cases. I am an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law 

Prosecution Background. I find that my background is incredibly valuable to clients. I understand both law enforcement and prosecution culture and because I spent years teaching in both spheres, I have a deep understanding of both institutional strengths and weaknesses. I can read a police report and determine the level of training as well as the quality of the investigation quickly. I also understand what it takes to get the prosecutor to see my client's side of the story, or the weaknesses in their case.

Client Approach - being charged with a crime can evoke many emotions and is often a source of stress and anxiety. People make mistakes and I provide my clients with:

• Court Process - what is happening in the case and how does it progress? I provide my clients with a detailed explanation of the procedural aspect of the case and provide what is really happening in a case including explaining terminology, what the different actors (Prosecutor, Judge, Police, Witnesses) can and can't do.
• Law - what does the law say and mean including what are the consequencesDiscovery - Discovery refers to all of the evidence that police and the prosecutors have collected in a case including reports, witness statements, photos and videos, test results and other items depending upon the complexity of the case. 
• Negotiation - meeting with the prosecutor and persisting in getting the best possible outcome for a client. 
• Mitigation/Exoneration - working with a client to provide determine any details that establish that he/she did not commit the crime, including any necessary follow up investigation. Where a client did engage in the charged conduct, what have they done or what can they do to lessen the consequences.
• Motions - this process generally refers to the process of addressing constitutional issues - did the police comply with the requirements espoused in the 4th, 5th and 6th Amendments of the Constitution? If a case is headed on a trial track, it may also address what evidence will be allowed or prohibited.
• Trial - If a case goes to trial it is critical to know what is at stake. Knohwing the evidence, the skills and capability of the prosecutor as well as the demeanor of the judge are important. I always provides clients with the landscape of a trial including my strategy and realistic outcomes. There is always a level of uncertainty and unpredictability about trial. Not only does it require being prepared, but it also necessitates being nimble and being quick to adapt to take advantage of opportunities.

 Specialties - while I am experienced in all range of misdemeanor and felony cases there are several areas where I possess high levels of experience and expertise:

• DUI - I spent the better part of decade teaching Colorado law enforcement and prosecutors about all aspects of DUI investigations. As a result I have an extensive understanding of how DUI investigations are conducted including the different levels of training that law enforcement receive. This is a critical piece of information in defending DUI cases and I have a pretty good gauge of the level of a training a police officer has based upon the content of their police report. Further, I know the technical and scientific aspects of both breath and blood testing. There are other attorneys who are DUI specialists, but few have the background that I possess.
• MARIJUANA DUI - I am one of the country's formost experts on marijuana impaired driving. For anyone charged with this crime, I am simply the best defense attorney in Colorado to handle your case. 
• MARIJUANA CRIMES - Although marijuana is "legal," there are still a great many crimes that people can be chared with involving marijuana. I was on the frontlines of marijuana legalization beginning in 2009 when regulated medical marijuana exploded on the scene after Colorado voters passed recreational marijuana I was a sitting member on one of the Governor's committees on Edibles and Servicing Sizes and a reserve member on the committe on Cultivations and grow limits. Whether a person is charged with Possession, Possession with Intent, Consumption, Cultivation, or Distribution, I can help. Marijuana law is a confusing mash of Constitutional protections coupled with statutory provisions and there are conflicts between the two that may avail a person charged with these crimes additional defenses. If you are choosing a lawyer to represent you for this kind of case, most wouldn't know the diference between a Hemp plant and a marijuana plant, or the difference between a plant or a clone or the difference between CBD and THC. If you are charged with any marijuana crime, I can definitely help.