Escape In Colorado – C.R.S. 18-8-208
Escape And Aiding In Escape Charges In Colorado
Escape, C.R.S. 18-8-208, in Denver and throughout Colorado courts, is defined as the voluntary departure from lawful custody by a prisoner with the intent to evade the due course of justice. That is essentially legal talk for if you are in custody or confinement for a crime and intentionally flee from the authorities, then you can be charged with escape. Even walking away from a work release sentence is escape.
Sentencing For Colorado Escape
The punishment for this crime in Douglas County, Adams County, Arapahoe County, Denver and all other Colorado counties varies depending upon the original crime for which you are incarcerated. For instance, if you are in prison because of a Class 3 felony (sexual assault on a child, etc.), then an escape would be a Class 3 felony. If, however, you are in confinement but have not yet been convicted, then escape is a Class 4 felony.
Aiding Escape Can Be A Felony Too
Another crime related to escape that we see is aiding escape, C.R.S. 18-8-201. Aiding escape is a crime when a person knowingly aids, abets or assists another person to escape or attempt to escape from custody or confinement. Aiding an escape can take place at any time from the moment that an escape plan is thought up until the person who escapes is returned to custody. Similar to escape, the punishment for this crime will vary on a case-by-case basis.
For example, if you are convicted of helping someone plan to break out of the Colorado Correctional Center near Golden in Jefferson County, Colorado, your sentence will be determined based upon the person’s original conviction. If he or she were convicted of a Class 5 felony like menacing, then a Class 3 felony would be your sentence (yes, more serious than the person you helped). If, instead, he or she is serving a sentence for a misdemeanor, then you would receive a Class 1 misdemeanor for aiding his or her escape.
All that it takes to be charged with aiding escape is to help someone during any point of the process of the escape. You could tell the inmate something about the building and that would be aiding in the planning stage. You might, as a recent client found out, try to get a bobby pin or piece of wire to a relative in prison and that can be considered aid. If you give an inmate who has already escaped out of prison a car to use for a while, food and shelter, or money, then that might be enough for the district attorney in Douglas County, Adams County, Arapahoe County, Denver or anywhere else in the state of Colorado to charge you with aiding escape.
When You Need Experienced Help
The most important thing that you can do if you are charged with a crime like escape or aiding escape is to hire a criminal lawyer who has handled cases like yours before. The attorneys at Sawyer Legal Group, LLC, are the experienced criminal attorneys that you need. So, if you have been contacted about or charged with escape or aiding in escape, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent and call us right away at 303-731-0719. Together, we can protect your future.