First Felony DUI Charges Filed in Mesa County

August 31, 2015

The Sheriff’s Department in Mesa County officially filed the first felony DUI charges in the county last week against a 36-year-old woman from Clifton.

This case is likely to be followed by many as it moves forward, as its progress, costs and outcome will likely serve as base/reference for future felony DUI cases to be resolved in the county – and possibly in other regions in the state.

Details of the Felony DUI Case

Here are the details regarding the first ever felony DUI case recently filed in Mesa County, a Denver & Boulder DUI attorney explains. Contact us for the best DUI defense.

Here are the details regarding the first ever felony DUI case recently filed in Mesa County, a Denver & Boulder DUI attorney explains. Contact us for the best DUI defense.

According to the preliminary police report for this case, the woman facing felony DUI charges was arrested early last week after police received a tip about a potential drunk driver. In fact, the tip was reportedly phoned in by a survivor of a drunk driving accident who had been a speaker at a MADD meeting that the driver had attended.

Not much else about this DUI arrest is currently known at this time. Specifically, details regarding the following have yet to be revealed, likely due to the pending investigation:

  • Whether the woman submitted to field sobriety testing and, if so, what the results of that testing were
  • Whether the woman submitted to BAC testing and, if so, the type of BAC testing administered and the results of that testing
  • What other signs of alleged impairment were noted by police upon the arrest.

Currently, it’s also unknown if the woman had three or more prior DUI convictions, as well as when these priors were acquired.

Felony DUIs: What’s At Stake

As we’ve reported in the past, felony DUI charges in Colorado are generally Class 4 felony charges, which means that they can be punishable by up to six (6) years in prison and as much as $500,000 in fines. Additionally, drivers should know that:

  • These penalties for Colorado felony DUIs can be mitigated by treatment, as long as  case can be made that treatment would best serve the defendant and the defendant is willing to go to treatment (in the event of a conviction).
  • DUIs acquired in other states can count as priors in Colorado. So, if you have three DUI arrests in other states, you can still face felony DUI charges in Colorado even if none of those other charges/cases were in Colorado.

Potential Defenses for Felony DUI Charges

While the best defense against any DUI charges (misdemeanor or felony charges) will vary according to the details of a given case, just a few possibilities may include (again, depending on the specifics of the case) arguing that:

  • There is insufficient evidence of driver impairment (because, for instance, there was not BAC testing and/or a “failure” on a field sobriety test is inconclusive).
  • The results of BAC testing are questionable, if not completely unreliable (because, for example, an uncalibrated device was used to administer a breath test or blood samples were mishandled at some point).

As more news about this felony DUI case becomes available, we’ll bring you the latest updates in a future blog. In the meantime, share your comments about this story with us on Google+ and Facebook.

Contact a Denver & Boulder DUI Attorney at the Griffin Law Firm

Have you been charged with a misdemeanor or felony DUI offense? If so, you can turn to the Denver & Boulder Metro DUI attorney at Griffin Law Firm for experienced help and the best possible defense.

To receive a complete evaluation of your case, along with professional advice regarding your best options, contact us by calling (303) 280-1070 or by emailing us using the contact form at the top of this page.

Categories: DUI News