Misdemeanor Defense Investigations in Colorado

01Why it matters

Why a Colorado Misdemeanor Deserves Real Investigation

Misdemeanor dockets are crowded, and the pressure to resolve cases quickly is strong on every side. Yet a conviction can affect a professional license, a lease application, a security clearance or an immigration case long after any sentence ends. A few hours of investigation can change how a prosecutor views the file. Our Colorado criminal defense investigations team treats these cases as seriously as the client's future requires.

The typical misdemeanor file is thin. It may contain an officer's narrative, a short statement from the complaining witness and perhaps a photograph or two. What it often lacks are the other people who were present, the video from the business next door, the text messages that came before the incident and the physical layout of the scene. Our Denver investigators and Pueblo team fill those gaps quickly, before they close.

02Courts

County Courts, Municipal Courts and How Cases Move

Under C.R.S. § 13-6-106, Colorado's county courts have concurrent original jurisdiction over state misdemeanors and petty offenses, and county courts handle traffic matters as well. Separately, about 215 municipal courts hear violations of city ordinances, which can look similar to state charges but follow local codes. Denver County Court describes itself as both a municipal and a state court. Our Aurora investigators work cases in courts serving Arapahoe, Adams and Douglas County addresses.

Knowing which court and which charging document is involved shapes the investigation. A municipal assault charge, a state third-degree assault charge and a harassment charge may arise from the same event but carry different elements and timelines. Counsel identifies the elements, and we gather facts that bear on each. In the 23rd Judicial District, created in January 2025 for Douglas, Elbert and Lincoln counties, our Parker investigators support cases at the Douglas County Courthouse in Castle Rock.

• County courts: state misdemeanors, petty offenses and traffic
• About 215 municipal courts for local ordinance violations
• Denver County Court sits as both municipal and state court
• 23 judicial districts statewide since January 2025

03Common charges

Harassment, Trespass, Recording and Similar Charges

Harassment under C.R.S. § 18-9-111 covers a wide range of conduct, from following someone in a public place to sending harassing texts or social media messages. Some subsections are class 1 misdemeanors and others class 2, depending on the conduct. These cases often turn on context: the history between the people, who started the exchange and what was actually said. Our cyberbullying investigators preserve and organize digital messages, while our stalking specialists understand how the more serious charge differs.

Third-degree criminal trespass under § 18-4-504 is generally a petty offense, though agricultural land and intent to commit a felony raise it. Property lines, fencing, signage and prior permission often decide these cases, so we document the scene carefully. Recording charges also appear: eavesdropping and wiretapping under §§ 18-9-303 and 18-9-304 are class 2 misdemeanors, and Colorado's one-party consent rule is central to the defense. Our Lakewood investigators handle Jefferson County scenes.

04Evidence

Video, Messages and Witnesses on a Short Timeline

Perishable evidence decides many misdemeanors. Store and restaurant cameras, doorbell cameras, apartment complex systems and bus or light-rail video may capture what happened, but many systems overwrite footage within days. We identify every likely camera near the incident and ask owners to preserve footage, and counsel can seek subpoenas or preservation letters where needed. Our workplace surveillance team knows how commercial systems store and export video.

Witnesses fade just as quickly. Bystanders give their names once, move or change phones. We identify them from the report, receipts, social media and the client's account, then interview them with counsel's approval. Where counsel requests it, we check witness histories through the CBI's Internet Criminal History Check, which is name-based and covers Colorado records only. Our witness background checks explain those limits, and our skip tracing team finds witnesses who have moved away.

05Records

Getting Records as an Out-of-State Defense Investigator

Delator is headquartered in Nashville, and Colorado law does not penalize that. The Colorado Open Records Act opens public records to any person, with no residency requirement, and generally presumes a response within three working days. Criminal justice records, such as police reports and investigative files, fall under a separate statute that begins at C.R.S. § 24-72-301, with its own rules, so counsel often obtains them through discovery instead. Our attorney support services coordinate both routes.

Non-police records can be just as useful: city permits, code enforcement files, property records showing who owns a building, transit agency video policies and court files from earlier disputes between the parties. We request what the scope allows and log every request and response. Our Colorado Springs investigators regularly retrieve El Paso County court records, and our Westminster team handles Adams and Jefferson County requests.

06Statewide

Sixty-Four Counties, Mountain Towns and Long Drives

Misdemeanor cases arise everywhere, from Denver's busy county court to small county seats on the Eastern Plains and in the San Luis Valley. Resort towns see a steady flow of cases involving visitors who have already gone home, which makes remote witness contact and quick evidence preservation essential. Our Boulder investigators and mountain-area coverage handle cases where the incident happened on vacation and the witnesses live elsewhere.

Distance and weather affect scheduling. Western Slope and southwest courts can be several hours from Denver, and I-70 trips between September and May may be slowed by traction and chain-law conditions. We plan field work around court dates and tell counsel when conditions affect timing. Our Grand Junction team and Durango investigators handle western and southwest cases closer to where they arise.

07Engagement

Retained and Appointed Counsel, Scope and Cost

Misdemeanor engagements start at $750, and cases with multiple charges start at $1,500, billed at $100 per hour under a written scope that counsel approves. A focused scope, such as one witness interview and a video canvass, keeps cost proportionate to the case. We report against the budget and ask before going beyond it. The Colorado pricing page lists every published rate.

Appointed counsel can use us when their office approves the work. The Office of the Colorado State Public Defender staffs 21 regional trial offices, and the Office of Alternate Defense Counsel handles conflict cases through contract attorneys. Each has its own approval and billing procedures. Our appointed counsel page describes how we prepare estimates and itemized invoices that fit those requirements.

Services

Misdemeanor defense investigation services in Colorado

• Video canvass and preservationFinding store, doorbell, transit and apartment cameras near the incident and asking owners to preserve footage before automatic systems overwrite it.Learn more
• Witness identificationIdentifying bystanders, employees and friends who saw the incident, using reports, receipts, social media and the client's own account of events.Learn more
• Witness interviewsInterviewing defense and prosecution witnesses with counsel's approval and preparing accurate written summaries for negotiation, motions and trial preparation in county court.Learn more
• Scene documentationPhotographing and measuring the location, lighting, sight lines, signage and property boundaries that bear on what witnesses could actually see.Learn more
• Digital message reviewOrganizing texts, social media posts and emails the client provides, showing context and sequence in harassment and threat allegations for counsel.Learn more
• Complainant backgroundResearching public court records, prior disputes and Colorado criminal history for complaining witnesses when counsel requests it for impeachment or context.Learn more
• Records requestsRequesting permits, code files, property records and court files under the Colorado Open Records Act, with every request and response logged.Learn more
• Impaired-driving supportBuilding the stop and timeline record in DWAI and DUI cases, including receipts, video and witnesses who saw the driving.Learn more
• Appointed case estimatesPreparing written estimates and itemized invoices that match the approval procedures of public defense offices and contract counsel in Colorado.Learn more

How it works

How a Colorado misdemeanor investigation runs

1. 01

   Counsel calls us

   Defense counsel shares the charge, court, next date and discovery so far, and we agree in writing on a focused scope and price starting at $750.

2. 02

   Preserve first

   We act immediately on video, messages and witness identities, because camera systems overwrite footage and bystanders become hard to find within days. We log every preservation request.

3. 03

   Investigate

   We interview witnesses, document the scene, request records and research the complainant's history where counsel asks, reporting each step promptly with dated notes and copies of every record obtained.

4. 04

   Report

   Counsel receives sourced summaries, photographs and records in time for the next court date, and our investigators remain available to testify if needed. Every source is cited.

Compare

Common Colorado misdemeanor charges and the facts investigators develop

Statewide coverage

Misdemeanor defense investigations across Colorado

Delator assigns investigators to defense counsel in county and municipal courts statewide. Metro cases rely on our Thornton investigators and Centennial coverage, and Larimer County courts are supported by the Fort Collins team. Weld County matters use our Greeley investigators, while Boulder County cases draw on Longmont coverage. Mountain and Western Slope cases are scheduled around distance and weather. Every engagement starts with a written scope and price approved by counsel, and reports follow the same standard in every court.

• Denver
• Aurora
• Colorado Springs
• Lakewood
• Pueblo
• Boulder
• 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