Are you facing a Felony Menacing charge in Weld County? Hiring a top Greeley or Weld County attorney can get you the best outcome in your criminal case. A Menacing charge can happen when the victim is in fear of imminent serious bodily injury or death because of a defendant’s actions or threats. Recently in Colorado Springs, law enforcement responded to a Felony Menacing call of a man with a gun. Shots were exchanged, and a standoff resulted after the man hid in a house. Below, our attorneys will discuss whether this was a Felony Menacing charge, what Menacing is, and why it is important to hire a top Weld County attorney.
Legal Definition of Menacing, C.R.S. 18-3-206, in Greeley Colorado
In Greeley, Colorado, the definition of Menacing under C.R.S. 18-3-206 is:
A person commits the crime of menacing if, by any threat or physical action, he or she knowingly places or attempts to place another person in fear of imminent serious bodily injury.
The defendant in the above story could be charged with Menacing, if it can be proven that another person feared imminent injury or death, regardless of whether the defendant caused injury or not. Also, it is important to note that if injury did occur, then the defendant could be charged with other criminal charges, such as assault. To learn more about an Assault charge, get help here.
Difference Between Felony Menacing and Misdemeanor Menacing Charges in Weld County
The difference between a Felony Menacing charge and a Misdemeanor Menacing charge in Weld County, is the use or threatened use of a deadly weapon. Verbal threats or the use of your hands would most likely be a Misdemeanor Menacing charge. However, like in the story above, waving a gun or even verbally threatening to use a gun will result in a Felony Menacing charge.
What is the Definition in Windsor, Colorado of a “Deadly Weapon”?
When you are facing a criminal charge, it is important to understand the language in a statute. In Windsor and across Colorado, a “Deadly Weapon” is considered: a firearm, whether loaded or unloaded; a knife, bludgeon, or any other weapon, device, instrument, material, or substance, whether animate or inanimate, that, in the manner it is used or intended to be used, is capable of producing death or serious bodily injury.
Possible Sentence and Penalties for Menacing in Weld County
In Weld County, Colorado, Menacing can be a class 1 misdemeanor, the most severe class of misdemeanors with penalties of up to 364 days in Weld County Jail and a fine of up to $1,000. Felony Menacing is a class 5 felony charge, with harsher penalties of 1 to 3 years in a Colorado State Prison, fines between $1,000 and $100,000, and up to 2 years of parole.
Hire a Top Greeley, Colorado, Menacing Defense Attorney
If you are being accused of a Menacing charge in Greeley or Weld County, it is important that you hire knowledgeable attorneys who can learn the details of your case. Our attorneys have worked with many clients facing Menacing charges and can craft a defense for court or seek to have the charges dropped if the evidence against you is weak or has holes.