Bennett Criminal Defense Lawyer
The city of Bennett sits along the eastern plains of Adams County, and criminal charges filed here move through a courthouse system that has its own prosecutors, its own judges, and its own rhythms. A Bennett criminal defense lawyer who understands how Adams County prosecutes cases, which arguments land and which ones fall flat, and how the district attorney’s office approaches plea negotiations is worth far more than a generic attorney who treats every county the same way. The difference between a conviction and a dismissal often comes down to how well your defense attorney knows this specific terrain.
Adams County has prosecuted thousands of criminal cases, from traffic stops along State Highway 36 to more serious felony charges that carry years in Colorado state prison. The stakes vary depending on the charge, but the approach should never waver: every case deserves a thorough investigation of the stop, the arrest, the evidence collection, and the charging decision itself. There are real procedural checkpoints in every criminal case where the government is required to follow the law exactly, and when they don’t, those failures can result in charges being reduced, evidence being suppressed, or cases being dismissed entirely.
DeChant Law represents clients in Bennett and across Adams County who are facing criminal charges at every level, from misdemeanors that could affect your job and your record to serious felonies that demand experienced courtroom representation. Reid DeChant built his practice on public defender experience in Adams County courtrooms, which means he knows the system from the inside and understands how to use that knowledge to defend you.
What Reid DeChant Brings to Your Bennett Criminal Case
Reid DeChant is not a generalist who handles criminal cases on the side. Criminal defense is his practice. Before founding DeChant Law, Reid worked as a public defender handling an extraordinary volume of cases in Adams County, Broomfield, and Denver courtrooms, defending clients facing traffic offenses, DUI, DWAI, assault, theft, felony charges, sexual assault allegations, and homicide. That volume of trial experience is something most private attorneys never accumulate, because public defenders are in courtrooms day after day, cross-examining police officers, arguing suppression motions, and trying cases to juries.
Reid is a graduate of the Trial Lawyers College, a selective program founded by legendary trial attorney Gerry Spence. The program trains lawyers to tell clients’ stories in a way that resonates with real people on juries, not through legal jargon or procedural arguments alone, but through authentic human connection and narrative advocacy. Most defense attorneys argue facts. Reid tells the story of what actually happened and why the government’s version is incomplete or wrong.
His case results in Adams County and surrounding jurisdictions speak to that approach. An assault charge out of Adams County resulted in a Not Guilty verdict at trial. A harassment case in Adams County, charged as domestic violence, was dismissed by the district attorney at trial. A third-degree assault case out of Adams County was dismissed entirely. These are not distant jurisdictions where Reid occasionally appears. Adams County is ground he knows well, and that familiarity translates directly to more effective representation for people in Bennett who need a criminal defense attorney who can walk into that courthouse prepared.
Reid holds membership in the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar, staying current with evolving defense strategies, legal developments, and the kind of peer network that gives skilled defense attorneys access to expert resources when complex cases demand them.
Criminal Charges Commonly Filed in Bennett and Adams County
- DUI and DWAI: Traffic stops along State Highway 36, Bromley Lane, and the corridors connecting Bennett to Brighton and Commerce City generate a significant number of impaired driving arrests. Colorado law distinguishes between DUI and the lower threshold DWAI offense, and the consequences, license revocation proceedings before the DMV, fines, and possible jail time, require immediate attention from a criminal defense attorney who handles both the criminal case and the separate DMV express consent action.
- Domestic Violence Charges: Colorado law attaches a mandatory domestic violence designation to many misdemeanor and felony charges when the alleged victim is a household or intimate partner. This designation triggers additional consequences beyond the underlying charge, including restrictions on firearms possession and immigration consequences, making early and aggressive defense essential.
- Drug Possession and Distribution: Adams County law enforcement prosecutes possession of controlled substances including methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and prescription medications without a valid prescription. Charges range from petty offenses to serious felonies depending on the substance, the quantity, and whether distribution is alleged.
- Assault and Menacing: Third-degree assault, second-degree assault, and felony menacing are charges that arise from altercations, road incidents, and domestic disputes across Adams County. The degree of the charge and whether a deadly weapon is alleged dramatically affects the sentencing range and the defense approach.
- Theft and Property Crimes: Colorado’s theft statute is value-based, meaning the dollar amount of the alleged theft determines whether the charge is a petty offense, misdemeanor, or felony. Theft convictions carry collateral consequences for employment and professional licensing that extend well beyond any sentence imposed.
- Traffic Offenses and License Matters: Not every criminal charge involves violence or drugs. Driving under restraint, vehicular eluding, careless driving causing injury, and habitual traffic offender designations carry criminal penalties under Colorado law, and a conviction can result in extended license suspension or revocation.
- Failure to Register as a Sex Offender: This charge is filed when someone required to maintain registration on Colorado’s sex offender registry fails to comply. Reid has secured a Not Guilty verdict at trial on this charge, demonstrating that even charges that seem straightforward to prosecutors can be successfully contested with the right defense.
What to Do After an Arrest in Bennett or Adams County
The period immediately following an arrest is when people make the decisions that hurt their cases the most. The most consequential thing you can do is stop talking. Colorado law enforcement officers are trained to gather statements, and anything you say, even something you believe helps you, becomes material that prosecutors will use. The right to remain silent exists precisely for this situation. Exercise it without apology and ask for a lawyer.
Criminal cases filed in Bennett are processed through the Adams County Justice Center located in Brighton, Colorado. This is where your first appearance, your arraignment, and your subsequent hearings will take place. Bond conditions are typically set at first appearance, and the charges filed against you will be formally read at arraignment. Having a Bennett criminal defense attorney present at or before first appearance can make a real difference in how bond is set and what conditions are imposed.
If your arrest involved an alleged DUI or DWAI, there is a critical deadline you need to understand immediately: Colorado’s express consent law triggers a separate DMV proceeding to revoke your driver’s license, and you have a limited window to request a hearing. Missing that deadline means the revocation proceeds without any opportunity for you to contest it. DeChant Law has secured numerous dismissals in DMV express consent hearings based on improper advisements, failure to administer chemical tests within the required time window, and procedural defects in how the process was conducted.
Gather everything you remember about the stop, the arrest, the interaction with law enforcement, and any witnesses who were present. Write it down before memory fades. Photographs, text messages, surveillance footage, and phone records have all played roles in successful criminal defenses, but that evidence can disappear quickly. The sooner you contact a criminal defense attorney, the more of that evidence can be preserved and used.
Avoid discussing your case on social media or with anyone other than your attorney. Prosecutors monitor social media, and statements made to friends or family are not protected by attorney-client privilege.
How Colorado Criminal Cases Move from Arrest to Resolution
Understanding the actual process helps you make better decisions at every stage. After arrest, you are booked and either released on bond or held pending a first appearance. At first appearance, a judge reviews the charges and sets bond. If charged with a felony, you will proceed through a preliminary hearing or grand jury process where the court determines whether probable cause exists to proceed to trial. Misdemeanor cases move more quickly but still follow a structured process through arraignment, pretrial conferences, and either a plea or trial.
The district attorney’s office in Adams County makes charging and plea decisions, and those decisions are influenced by the strength of the evidence, the availability of witnesses, and the pressure your defense attorney applies through skilled motion practice and demonstrated willingness to go to trial. Prosecutors make different offers to defendants who have trial-ready attorneys than to those who are clearly hoping to avoid a courtroom. Reid’s trial record in Adams County is a real factor in how prosecutors approach negotiations in his cases.
Pretrial motions are often where cases are decided before a jury is ever selected. Motions to suppress unlawfully obtained evidence, motions challenging the legality of a stop or search, and motions attacking defects in charging documents can change the entire trajectory of a case. This is why the depth of a defense attorney’s litigation experience matters so much, not just whether they have been to trial, but whether they know how to use the pretrial process to create leverage and expose weaknesses in the government’s case.
Questions About Hiring a Bennett Criminal Defense Attorney
How quickly should I hire a criminal defense attorney after an arrest in Bennett?
Contact an attorney as soon as possible, ideally before any court appearance. Early representation allows your attorney to influence how bond is set, begin preserving evidence, and identify any procedural issues in how the arrest was conducted. In DUI cases, the DMV deadline makes speed especially important.
What is the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony in Colorado?
Colorado classifies misdemeanors and felonies into multiple levels, each carrying different maximum sentences. Misdemeanor convictions can result in up to 364 days in county jail, while felony convictions can carry years in state prison. The classification of your charge determines where your case is heard, what the sentencing range is, and what collateral consequences follow.
Can a criminal conviction affect my job or professional license in Colorado?
Yes. Many employers conduct background checks, and certain convictions can disqualify you from professional licenses in fields including healthcare, law, teaching, real estate, and financial services. Domestic violence convictions carry federal firearms restrictions. Reid considers these downstream consequences when evaluating defense strategy and negotiating with prosecutors.
What does it mean if my charge carries a domestic violence designation in Colorado?
In Colorado, a domestic violence designation is added to many charges when the alleged offense occurred between intimate partners or household members. This designation triggers mandatory treatment requirements upon conviction, restrictions on possessing firearms under federal law, and can affect immigration status. It is not a separate charge but a sentence enhancer that significantly expands the consequences of a conviction.
Do I have to accept a plea deal offered by the Adams County DA’s office?
No. You have the right to take your case to trial. Whether a plea offer makes sense depends entirely on the strength of the government’s evidence, the risk of conviction at trial, and the difference in consequences between the offered plea and the potential outcome at trial. That analysis requires honest, experienced advice from an attorney who has actually tried cases in Adams County.
Will my case definitely go to trial if I hire DeChant Law?
Not necessarily. Many cases are resolved short of trial through dismissals, charge reductions, or negotiated pleas. What matters is that your attorney is genuinely prepared to go to trial, because that preparation changes how prosecutors approach your case. Reid has taken cases to jury trial and secured Not Guilty verdicts in Adams County, which means his willingness to go the distance is credible.
What happens at a DMV express consent hearing in Colorado?
After a DUI arrest, the DMV schedules an administrative hearing to determine whether your license should be revoked. This is entirely separate from the criminal case. At the hearing, the officer’s conduct in administering the express consent advisement and chemical test is examined closely. DeChant Law has had multiple DMV express consent actions dismissed based on improper advisements, failure to administer the test within the required timeframe, and other procedural defects.
Can charges be filed against me even if the alleged victim doesn’t want to press charges?
In Colorado, the decision to file criminal charges rests with the district attorney’s office, not the alleged victim. This is especially common in domestic violence cases, where prosecutors often proceed even when the complaining party is uncooperative or recants. The government can compel witnesses to testify and can use physical evidence, prior statements, and other means to pursue a conviction without the victim’s active cooperation.
What if I was stopped at a checkpoint or pulled over without a clear reason?
The legality of a traffic stop is one of the most important issues in any criminal case arising from a vehicle stop. Law enforcement must have reasonable articulable suspicion to initiate a stop, and evidence obtained from an unlawful stop may be suppressible under the Fourth Amendment. If the stop was pretextual or lacked legal justification, a motion to suppress can challenge the entire foundation of the government’s case.
How does having prior criminal history in Colorado affect my current case?
Prior convictions can affect your case in several ways. They may elevate the classification of a new charge, as with third-offense DUI, which carries enhanced penalties under Colorado law. They can also affect how prosecutors approach plea negotiations and how judges weigh sentencing options. However, prior history does not mean the current charges are uncontestable. Every charge stands on its own evidence, and prior history is one factor among many in building your defense strategy.
Representing Clients Across Bennett and the Surrounding Adams County Region
DeChant Law serves criminal defense clients throughout the communities of Adams County and the surrounding northeastern Denver metro area. From Bennett and Strasburg along the eastern corridor through Watkins and Deer Trail, our representation extends across the rural and semi-rural communities along State Highway 36 and Interstate 70. We also represent clients from Brighton, Commerce City, Thornton, Northglenn, Westminster, and Federal Heights, as well as the communities of Arvada, Henderson, Lochbuie, and Hudson where Adams County jurisdiction applies. Clients from the Reunion, Todd Creek, and Barr Lake neighborhoods, as well as those living in the newer developments along the E-470 corridor, routinely face Adams County prosecution and deserve the same quality of defense available anywhere in the Denver metro.
Whether charges arise from a traffic stop on Prairie Center Parkway, an incident in the Brighton commercial corridor, or an arrest in one of the smaller communities along the eastern plains, DeChant Law appears regularly in Adams County courts and understands the local prosecution landscape. Distance from Denver does not mean a lesser standard of defense representation.
Talk to a Bennett Criminal Defense Attorney About Your Case
A criminal charge changes things fast, and having the right attorney from the beginning of that process matters more than most people realize. Reid DeChant has tried cases in Adams County, secured dismissals and acquittals that other attorneys might not have fought for, and built a practice around the belief that every client deserves honest, tenacious, and genuinely personal representation. If you are facing charges in Bennett or anywhere in Adams County, contact DeChant Law to speak with a Bennett criminal defense attorney who knows this system and is prepared to use every available tool to defend you.
