In Weld County, if you inconvenience, disrupt, or injure a person by tampering with their property, you could face a Second Degree Criminal Tampering Charge. If the person whose property you tampered with was your spouse or significant other, a Domestic Violence or DV Sentence Enhancer could be added. A Denver Broncos player was recently on the receiving end of a Second Degree Criminal Tampering charge and Domestic Violence Sentence Enhancer. The wide receiver allegedly kept the mother of his child’s wallet and medical information from her, so she could not leave. If he is convicted, the wide receiver could be facing a misdemeanor conviction. Below, our attorneys will discuss Criminal Tampering and a Domestic Violence Sentence Enhancer. If you are facing these charges in Fort Collins or Larimer County, get help here.
Legal Definition of Second Degree Criminal Tampering, C.R.S. 18-4-506, in Greeley, Colorado
Second-Degree Criminal Tampering, C.R.S. 18-4-506, in Greeley is defined as:
In the above story, if it can be proven that he hid her wallet and papers with intent to cause injury, inconvenience, or annoyance to that person or to another, then he could be found guilty of Criminal Tampering. It is easy for people to get angry and want to annoy another by messing with their stuff. Making this a criminal offense seems over the top, but this is Colorado law. When the “property of another” belongs to someone you’ve have had an intimate relationship with, then you could also be charged with a Domestic Violence Sentence Enhancer.
What is Domestic Violence, Requiring a DV Sentence Enhancer, in Weld County, C.R.S. 18-6-800.3?
In Weld County, Domestic Violence, C.R.S. 18-6-800.3, requires a DV Sentence Enhancer, and is defined as:
Domestic Violence is not a criminal charge by itself in Weld County. Instead, it is charged in addition to another criminal charge as a sentence enhancer. This means that the punishment and penalties are increased from the original criminal charge, when DV is added as a sentence enhancer. In the case of Domestic Violence, it is important that you hire a skilled and aggressive attorney because in addition to the penalties for other charges, you will be arrested and held in jail until you are seen by a judge and a Protection Order is issued. To learn more about a Domestic Violence Sentence Enhancer, go here.
What is First Degree Criminal Tampering in Windsor, Colorado?
In Windsor and the rest of Colorado, First Degree Criminal Tampering occurs when an institution or utility that provides safety or health services, is tampered with. When this utility is tampered, with the intent to cause interruption or impairment of a service rendered to the public by a utility or institution providing health or safety protection. An example would be if a person tampered with a hospital’s internet and the hospital did not have service.
First Degree Tampering deals more with public service agencies, while Second Degree Tampering is directed at individuals.
Judge Sentence Ranges for Criminal Tampering in the First Degree and Criminal Tampering in the Second Degree in Weld County.
The sentence for Criminal Tampering in both the First and Second Degree is class 2 misdemeanor carrying up to 120 days in the Weld County Jail and /or up to $750 in fines. However, as in the case above, if a Domestic Violence Sentence Enhancer is added, then the sentence could be more severe, to include required CV classes for a lengthy period and the loss of firearm rights.