Fort Collins Domestic Violence Lawyer

A domestic violence charge in Fort Collins carries weight that goes well beyond the courtroom. Colorado law attaches a domestic violence designation to a wide range of offenses, and that designation triggers consequences that most people never anticipate until they are already facing them. A mandatory protection order issues almost immediately, often forcing someone out of their own home before a single court date has passed. Jobs with background check requirements are suddenly at risk. Custody arrangements can shift overnight. And because Colorado has a mandatory arrest policy for domestic violence calls, the fact of an arrest itself is not an indicator of guilt, only of a call being made.

This is the reality for people who search for a Fort Collins domestic violence lawyer: they are not just looking for someone to appear at a hearing. They are looking for someone who understands that the stakes here are personal, immediate, and interconnected in ways that require a defense built around the full picture of their life. At DeChant Law, that is exactly what attorney Reid DeChant delivers. Reid has defended domestic violence cases across the Front Range, including in Larimer County courts, and his approach draws on deep trial experience, genuine investment in each client, and advocacy rooted in telling the truth of what actually happened.

Colorado’s mandatory prosecution policy means that even if the alleged victim recants or does not want the case to proceed, the district attorney’s office can and often does move forward anyway. Prosecutors rely on 911 recordings, body camera footage, officer testimony, and medical records. They are experienced at building cases without a cooperative complaining witness. That is why having a Fort Collins domestic violence attorney who knows how to challenge each piece of evidence, expose weaknesses in the state’s case, and present your story clearly and compellingly matters so much from the very beginning.

What Colorado Law Actually Classifies as Domestic Violence

Colorado does not have a standalone domestic violence crime. Instead, the domestic violence designation is a sentence enhancer that attaches to existing offenses when the alleged conduct occurs against someone with whom the defendant has or has had an intimate relationship. That includes current and former spouses, current and former romantic partners, and co-parents, regardless of whether those individuals ever lived together.

The breadth of that definition catches people by surprise. An argument that turns physical between former college partners qualifies. A heated text exchange with a current co-parent that includes a threat qualifies. Damage to property during a dispute with a live-in partner qualifies. Because the designation is relational rather than conduct-based, charges as varied as harassment, third-degree assault, menacing, criminal mischief, false imprisonment, and strangulation can all carry the domestic violence label in Colorado.

Strangulation charges deserve particular attention. Colorado law treats strangulation as a felony in domestic contexts, even when there is no lasting visible injury. This is one area where the charge itself carries severe potential consequences that many people do not fully grasp when they are first arrested. A conviction can mean prison time, a lifelong prohibition on firearm possession under federal law, and immigration consequences for non-citizens. A domestic violence attorney in Fort Collins who has actually tried strangulation and assault cases understands what the prosecution’s evidence typically looks like and where it can be contested.

Common Domestic Violence Charges Handled in Larimer County

• Third-Degree Assault (DV): One of the most commonly charged offenses in domestic cases, this misdemeanor applies when someone knowingly or recklessly causes bodily injury to an intimate partner; even minor injuries documented by officers at the scene can support the charge under Colorado law.
• Harassment (DV): Covers a range of conduct including repeated phone calls, threatening communications, and following someone; Reid has successfully defended harassment charges at trial, including a dismissed harassment case out of Adams County.
• Menacing (DV): Charged when someone places another in fear of imminent serious bodily injury; elevates to a felony when a weapon is involved or alleged to be involved, including situations where a person claims to have feared a weapon was present.
• Strangulation (DV): A felony charge under Colorado law that can be filed based solely on the complaining witness’s account and does not require medical evidence of injury, making the credibility of witnesses and the absence of corroborating injury central to the defense.
• False Imprisonment (DV): Arises when someone is alleged to have physically restrained a partner from leaving; this charge often appears alongside assault allegations and was among the charges Reid successfully defended to a not guilty verdict at trial.
• Criminal Mischief (DV): Property damage during a domestic dispute, from broken phones to damaged vehicles; the severity of the charge depends on the value of property allegedly damaged, and value disputes can be a meaningful part of the defense.
• Violation of a Protection Order: A separate criminal charge that arises when someone contacts or comes near a protected person after an emergency protection order has been issued; these charges move quickly and require immediate legal attention.

Why Reid DeChant Defends Fort Collins Domestic Violence Cases Differently

Reid DeChant built his practice on trial experience that most private defense attorneys simply do not have. His years as a public defender in Denver, Broomfield, and Adams County meant handling enormous caseloads across every type of charge, including domestic violence cases at every level of severity. That background gave Reid a courtroom fluency that translates directly into the confidence to take cases to trial when that is what the evidence requires. His case results reflect it: not guilty verdicts in third-degree assault and false imprisonment cases, a dismissed strangulation case where the district attorney’s own evaluation of the evidence led them to drop the charge, and a dismissed felony menacing matter resolved on motion rather than at trial.

Reid is a graduate of the Trial Lawyers College, the program founded by legendary trial attorney Gerry Spence, which trains lawyers in storytelling, authentic human connection, and psychodrama techniques designed to help juries understand cases not as legal abstractions but as real human experiences. In domestic violence cases, where the prosecution often frames everything through the lens of a single narrative, the ability to humanize the client, challenge that narrative, and present the full complexity of what actually happened is what separates adequate representation from genuinely effective advocacy.

Reid maintains active membership in the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar. These connections keep him current on defense strategies, legal challenges to police and prosecutorial practices, and developments in Colorado domestic violence law that affect how cases are charged and how they can be defended. When you work with DeChant Law, you are working with a Fort Collins domestic violence attorney who treats you as a partner in your own defense, keeps you informed at every stage, and is always willing to tell you the truth about where your case stands.

What to Do If You Have Been Arrested or Charged in Larimer County

If you were arrested for a domestic violence offense in Fort Collins, a mandatory protection order was almost certainly issued at or immediately after your arrest. That order restricts your contact with the alleged victim and may prohibit you from returning to your residence, even if you own it or are the sole leaseholder. Violating that order, even with the other party’s encouragement, results in a separate criminal charge. The protection order cannot be modified by agreement between you and the other party. Only the court can change it, and doing so requires a formal motion and a hearing.

Cases arising from arrests in Fort Collins are handled at the Larimer County Justice Center, located at 201 LaPorte Avenue in Fort Collins. The Eighth Judicial District covers Larimer and Jackson Counties. The Larimer County District Attorney’s Office prosecutes these cases, and they have a dedicated unit focused on domestic violence and family safety cases. Moving quickly to retain a domestic violence lawyer in Fort Collins matters because the arraignment comes soon after arrest, conditions of release are set early, and decisions made at those early hearings shape the trajectory of the entire case.

Document everything you can remember about what actually happened, including timeline, who said what, any witnesses who were present, and any communications that preceded the incident. Do not discuss the case on social media, do not reach out to the alleged victim directly, and do not attempt to influence any witness. Prosecutors and law enforcement are experienced at identifying those behaviors, and they make the defense harder. Bring anything relevant, including text messages, emails, or records of prior false allegations, to your first meeting with your attorney. The earlier your lawyer has access to the full picture, the more effectively they can build a defense.

Questions About Fort Collins Domestic Violence Cases

Can the alleged victim drop the charges against me?

No. In Colorado, the decision to prosecute rests with the district attorney’s office, not with the alleged victim. A complaining witness can tell prosecutors they do not want to proceed, but prosecutors can and regularly do continue with the case using other evidence such as 911 recordings, officer observations, body camera footage, and medical reports. A recanting witness does not end the case, though it can affect the prosecution’s ability to prove it.

Will I have to leave my home after a domestic violence arrest?

Colorado law requires the court to issue a mandatory protection order upon the filing of domestic violence charges. That order often prohibits you from returning to a shared residence, even temporarily, regardless of your ownership or lease rights. Modifying the order requires a court hearing, and the timeline for that process depends on the specific facts and procedural posture of your case. Consulting with your attorney immediately about the protection order terms is one of the most urgent priorities after an arrest.

What happens to my gun rights if I am convicted?

A domestic violence conviction, even for a misdemeanor, triggers a federal prohibition on firearm possession under the Lautenberg Amendment. Colorado law has its own restrictions as well. This is not a consequence that can be addressed after the fact through expungement or restoration in most cases. For anyone who works in law enforcement, security, the military, or any field requiring firearm possession, a domestic violence conviction can end a career. This reality makes the quality of the defense especially consequential.

Can a domestic violence charge affect my custody arrangement?

Yes. Family courts in Colorado consider evidence of domestic violence when making decisions about parenting time and decision-making authority. A pending criminal charge, a protection order, or a conviction can all influence how a family court evaluates what arrangement serves the children’s best interests. Criminal and family proceedings run on separate tracks, but what happens in one can directly affect the other. If you are involved in both a criminal case and a custody dispute, your attorney needs to understand both dimensions.

What if the alleged victim is exaggerating or fabricating the incident?

False or exaggerated allegations do occur in domestic situations, sometimes arising from contentious breakups, custody disputes, or other conflicts. Building a defense around credibility requires careful attention to inconsistencies in the complaining witness’s account across the 911 call, the officer’s report, the formal victim statement, and any subsequent communications. Text messages, social media records, and prior incidents of false reporting can all be relevant. Your attorney can subpoena records, depose witnesses in appropriate cases, and challenge the prosecution’s evidence at every stage.

How does Colorado’s mandatory arrest law affect my case?

Colorado requires law enforcement to make an arrest when responding to a domestic violence call if there is probable cause to believe an act of domestic violence occurred. Officers are not required to investigate thoroughly before arresting; they identify a primary aggressor and make the arrest. This means that who called 911 first, who appeared calmer at the scene, and how officers documented the situation in their report can all determine who was arrested, regardless of what actually happened. Challenging the arrest decision and how officers assessed the situation is a meaningful part of many domestic violence defenses.

Is it possible to get a domestic violence charge dismissed or reduced before trial?

Yes. Cases are dismissed or resolved favorably through pretrial motions, plea negotiations, deferred prosecution agreements, or the prosecution’s own reassessment of the evidence. The path depends on the facts. When witnesses become unavailable or uncooperative, when evidence is suppressed due to constitutional violations in how it was obtained, or when the defense presents information that undercuts the prosecution’s theory, cases can resolve well short of a jury verdict. There is no single outcome that applies across all domestic violence cases, which is why the specific facts and the defense approach matter so much.

Are domestic violence cases treated differently in Fort Collins versus Denver?

The substantive law is the same statewide, but prosecution philosophy, courtroom culture, and judicial temperament vary across counties. The Larimer County District Attorney’s Office has its own charging and plea policies, and the judges at the Larimer County Justice Center bring their own experience and preferences to how they handle these cases. An attorney who has appeared in Front Range jurisdictions, including in Larimer County courts, brings knowledge of the local landscape that matters when making strategic decisions about how to defend a case.

What is a deferred prosecution, and could it apply to my domestic violence case?

A deferred prosecution is an agreement under which the defendant participates in treatment or completes other conditions, and the charges are dismissed if those conditions are met. Colorado has specific rules about when deferred prosecution is available in domestic violence cases, and prosecutors in different counties approach it differently. It is not available in all situations and is not always the best option even when available. Whether a deferred prosecution makes sense in your specific case depends on the charges, your history, and what you value most in the outcome.

How long does a domestic violence case typically take in Larimer County?

Misdemeanor domestic violence cases can resolve in a few months, particularly when the defense moves efficiently and the facts are straightforward. Felony cases, cases involving multiple charges, or cases that proceed toward trial typically take longer, sometimes well over a year from arrest to resolution. The protection order issued at the start of the case remains in effect throughout that period. If your goal is to have the order modified so you can return home or have contact with your children, your attorney can pursue that through a separate motion, which the court will hear on its own timeline.

Domestic Violence Defense Representation Across Northern Colorado and the Front Range

DeChant Law defends domestic violence cases throughout Northern Colorado and the broader Front Range region. In the Fort Collins area, this includes clients in Old Town Fort Collins, Midtown, South Fort Collins, and neighborhoods throughout Larimer County. Reid also represents clients in Loveland, Greeley, Windsor, Timnath, Wellington, Severance, and Evans. To the south, the firm handles cases in Longmont, Boulder, Broomfield, Westminster, and Thornton. In the Denver metro, DeChant Law has appeared in courtrooms across Denver County, Adams County, Jefferson County, Arapahoe County, Douglas County, and surrounding jurisdictions. Whether you were arrested in a rural Larimer County community or in a suburban Front Range city, Reid is prepared to represent you in the court that has jurisdiction over your case.

Speak With a Fort Collins Domestic Violence Attorney Today

The decisions made in the first days after a domestic violence arrest shape everything that follows. A protection order is already in place. Prosecutors are already reviewing the case. Evidence is already being collected and preserved. The time to retain a Fort Collins domestic violence attorney who has actually taken these cases to trial and won is now, not after an arraignment has passed or a plea offer has expired.

Reid DeChant is available to speak with you about your case, explain what the charges mean, and give you an honest assessment of where things stand. Contact DeChant Law to schedule a consultation and start building a defense built around the truth of what actually happened.