Felony Defense Investigations in Colorado

01Courts

How a Colorado Felony Moves From County to District Court

Colorado felony cases usually begin in county court and finish in district court. Under C.R.S. § 13-6-106, county courts handle felony warrants, preliminary examinations, bindover orders and bail, while felony prosecutions are tried in the district court of the county where the charge was filed. The Larimer County District Attorney describes the preliminary hearing as deciding whether it is more probable than not that the defendant committed the felony. Our Fort Collins investigators support cases at the Larimer County Justice Center.

Colorado now has 23 judicial districts. The 23rd, covering Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties, began in January 2025, leaving the 18th as Arapahoe County alone. Denver's criminal cases are heard at the Lindsey-Flanigan Courthouse on West Colfax Avenue. Knowing the district, the courthouse and the local practice helps us plan witness work and records requests. Our Castle Rock team and Denver investigators work in those courts regularly.

• County court: warrants, preliminary examinations, bindover, bail
• District court: felony trials and sentencing
• 23 judicial districts; the 23rd began in January 2025
• Denver criminal cases at the Lindsey-Flanigan Courthouse

02Early stage

Preparing for the Preliminary Hearing

The preliminary hearing is often the defense's first chance to hear the prosecution's witnesses under oath. Investigation before that hearing can shape counsel's questions and sometimes the outcome. We identify and interview witnesses the police did not, photograph the scene, request video and gather records that test the arresting officer's account. Our criminal defense investigations team prioritizes the facts most likely to matter at that stage.

Time is short. Preliminary hearings can be set within weeks, and some evidence disappears faster than that. We focus first on perishable items: business video, phone records the client can provide, physical conditions at the scene and contact details for bystanders. After the hearing, the investigation broadens toward trial. Our skip tracing team finds witnesses who gave incomplete information, and our Colorado Springs investigators cover El Paso and Teller County cases.

03Charges

Stalking, Felony DUI, Fraud and Other Common Felonies

Several Colorado felonies depend heavily on facts investigators can develop. Stalking under C.R.S. § 18-3-602 is generally a class 5 felony for a first offense and a class 4 felony for a repeat offense within seven years or when a protection order was in effect. Felony DUI under § 42-4-1301 requires three or more qualifying priors. In both, history and context decide much of the case. Our stalking investigations and DUI defense work apply directly.

Fraud charges are records cases. Insurance fraud under § 18-5-211 includes felony-level conduct such as false claims and false supporting materials, and workers' compensation fraud under § 8-43-402 is a class 6 felony that also forfeits benefits. Defending these charges means examining claim files, medical records, surveillance footage and the insurer's own investigation, since § 10-1-128 requires insurers to keep anti-fraud plans. Our insurance investigations team understands how those files are built.

04Evidence

Scene Reconstruction, Video and Digital Records

Physical scenes change. Lighting is replaced, vegetation grows, businesses close and roads are repaved. We document scenes promptly with photographs, measurements and diagrams, ideally at the same time of day and under similar conditions as the incident. We work from public places and lawful vantage points, and we do not enter private property without permission. Our Aurora investigators handle east metro scenes, and our surveillance investigations team documents conditions over time when that matters.

Digital evidence now appears in most felonies: phone location data, messages, social media posts, ride-share trips, door cameras and app records. We organize what the client and discovery provide into timelines counsel can use, and we identify third parties who may hold more. Forensic extraction belongs to qualified examiners counsel retains. Our cyberbullying investigators and Boulder team are experienced with message-heavy cases.

05Witnesses

Witness Interviews and Credibility Research

Felony cases rise or fall on witnesses. We locate and interview defense witnesses, attempt interviews with prosecution witnesses when counsel approves, and document every account carefully. Witnesses may refuse to talk, and we respect that. Colorado generally permits recording with one party's consent under C.R.S. § 18-9-304, and counsel decides whether interviews are recorded. Our witness background checks review public histories that bear on credibility.

Credibility research uses lawful sources only. We search court records, prior statements in other cases, and Colorado criminal history through the CBI's name-based Internet Criminal History Check, which covers Colorado records and excludes sealed matters. Where a witness lived elsewhere, we extend searches. Our Greeley investigators and Pueblo team handle interviews across Weld and Pueblo counties, often at witnesses' homes or workplaces.

06Other forums

Federal Felonies and Cases Involving Tribal Land

Some Colorado felonies are federal. The U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado sits in Denver at the Alfred A. Arraj and Byron G. Rogers courthouses, with court locations in Colorado Springs, Grand Junction and Durango, and appeals go to the Tenth Circuit in Denver. Federal cases often involve larger discovery files, longer timelines and different sentencing considerations. Our attorney support services adapt to federal practice, and our Grand Junction investigators work Western Slope federal matters.

Southwest Colorado includes the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute reservations. Whether a case on or near reservation land is tribal, state or federal depends on the parties, the land and the offense, and we do not offer opinions on jurisdiction. Before field work, we settle the approach with counsel and, when appropriate, the tribal court. Our Durango investigators work in La Plata and Montezuma counties.

07Sentencing and cost

Mitigation, Sentencing Facts and Engagement Cost

Mitigation is investigation too. Employment history, family responsibilities, military service, treatment efforts, community ties and the circumstances behind the offense can all matter at sentencing or in negotiation. We gather records, interview family members, employers and others who know the client and organize the material for counsel. Our investigative consulting service helps counsel decide which mitigation themes deserve the most effort.

A single felony starts at $1,000 and multiple charges at $1,500, billed at $100 per hour under a written scope that counsel approves. We report against the budget and ask before exceeding it. Appointed counsel can engage us when their office approves the work, through the State Public Defender's 21 regional offices or the Office of Alternate Defense Counsel. Our appointed counsel page explains how estimates are prepared, and the Colorado pricing page lists every rate.

Services

Felony defense investigation services in Colorado

• Preliminary hearing preparationLocating witnesses, documenting the scene and gathering records quickly so counsel can test the prosecution's evidence at the first contested hearing.Learn more
• Witness location and interviewsFinding defense and prosecution witnesses, interviewing those willing to talk and preparing accurate written summaries for counsel's review and trial preparation.Learn more
• Credibility researchReviewing court records, prior statements and Colorado criminal history for witnesses, using lawful sources and noting the limits of each search.Learn more
• Scene reconstruction supportPhotographing, measuring and diagramming scenes under similar conditions, and supplying the factual base that counsel's reconstruction experts need for their work.Learn more
• Digital timeline buildingOrganizing messages, location data, ride-share trips and camera footage into timelines that show where people were and what they said.Learn more
• Prior conviction auditObtaining certified records for each prior relied on for enhancement, checking identity, dates, courts and whether each conviction actually qualifies.Learn more
• Fraud file analysisExamining claim files, financial records and the insurer's own investigation in insurance, workers' compensation and other fraud prosecutions in Colorado courts.Learn more
• Mitigation developmentGathering records and interviewing family, employers and community members to document the client's history for negotiation and sentencing hearings in district court.Learn more
• Federal case supportAdapting investigation to federal discovery, timelines and sentencing considerations in cases before the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.Learn more

How it works

How a Colorado felony investigation runs

1. 01

   Counsel engages us

   Defense counsel shares the charges, court, upcoming dates and discovery, and we agree in writing on scope and price, starting at $1,000 for one felony.

2. 02

   Secure perishable evidence

   We move first on video, scene conditions and witness identities, focusing on what counsel needs for the preliminary hearing and any early motions. Each request is logged.

3. 03

   Develop the defense record

   We interview witnesses, research credibility, build timelines, audit priors and gather records, reporting to counsel as each task is completed. Summaries note every source and date.

4. 04

   Support trial and sentencing

   We prepare exhibits, locate trial witnesses, develop mitigation and remain available to testify about our work, all within the budget counsel approves through verdict.

Compare

Colorado felony charges and the facts investigators develop

Statewide coverage

Felony defense investigations across Colorado

Delator assigns investigators to defense teams in all 23 judicial districts. Jefferson County cases draw on our Lakewood investigators and Arvada coverage, while Arapahoe County matters use the Littleton team and Centennial support. Adams County and Broomfield courts are covered by our Thornton investigators, and Larimer County cases rely on Loveland coverage. Western Slope and mountain cases are scheduled around distance and winter roads. Every engagement starts with a written scope and price approved by counsel before work begins, with the same reporting standard in each district.

• Denver
• Colorado Springs
• Aurora
• Fort Collins
• Pueblo
• Grand Junction
• All of Colorado

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Every service

Investigations available in Colorado

Every service below is available in Colorado and across Colorado, run by the same Delator Group leadership that manages our Tennessee casework. Choose a service to read how it works in Colorado.

Service areas

Private investigators across Colorado