Criminal Defense
Resisting an Officer
Defense against obstruction and resisting charges that often mask a bad arrest.
Charges like resisting arrest, obstruction, and interference are frequently added on top of an underlying arrest — sometimes to justify the officer’s use of force or to pressure a defendant into a plea. They can arise from little more than a verbal protest or an instinctive reaction.
Colorado law does not criminalize simply questioning the police or asserting your rights. We separate lawful conduct from actual resistance and hold the state to proving that any force you used was both knowing and unlawful.
- Resisting arrest
- Obstructing a peace officer
- Interference with police authority
- Failure to obey a lawful order
- Charges arising alongside excessive force
- Obstruction during protests and demonstrations
Jail time
These charges carry potential jail and probation even as misdemeanors.
Enhanced narrative
A resisting charge can make an underlying case look worse to a jury.
Record impact
A conviction signals violence or defiance on background checks.
Civil rights overlap
These cases can conceal an unlawful arrest or excessive force.
We obtain body-camera and bystander video to show what actually happened, and we test whether the underlying arrest was even lawful — because resistance to an unlawful arrest is treated very differently.
When the charge is being used to paper over excessive force, we expose that dynamic and coordinate with civil counsel where appropriate to protect your broader rights.
No. Verbally questioning or objecting to police conduct is protected. Obstruction requires more than words, and we make the state prove it.
The lawfulness of the underlying arrest is central. We investigate whether officers had legal grounds to detain or arrest you in the first place.
Often significantly. We move quickly to preserve and obtain all footage before it is deleted, as it frequently contradicts the police narrative.