When an adult encourages a child to do something against the law, Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor charges usually result in Castle Rock, Highlands Ranch, and Parker. Three people were recently charged with this crime for using a child to try and smuggle drugs into a state prison – and two of the three are already prison inmates. According to the report, a woman brought in the child, who handed the drugs to one of the inmates under the table. Through the investigation, the three adults were identified, and even though one was not a part of the visit, all three still ended up with multiple charges, including Introduction of Contraband and Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor.

Douglas County Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor Definition

The Douglas County, Colorado law definition of Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor – C.R.S. 18-6-701 – is:

“

Any person who induces, aids, or encourages a child to violate any federal or state law, municipal or county ordinance, or court order commits contributing to the delinquency of a minor. For the purposes of this section, the term "child" means any person under the age of eighteen years.”

By having a child hide drugs and then hand them off to another person, the actions of the people charged definitely would meet the criteria for this crime.

Sentence for Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor in Highlands Ranch

As a class 4 felony in Castle Rock, Highlands Ranch and all of Douglas County, Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor is punishable by 2 to 6 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections and up to $500,000 in jail. While this level of punishment seems appropriate for making a child a drug mule of sorts, there are far less severe cases where we have seen these serious charges result. Note that the statute says a violation of a municipal ordinance can be charged with this felony. We have seen cases where an adult is charged because a minor is out past a municipal curfew the adult didn’t even know existed. This law is susceptible to police abuse, and should not have been written so broadly. 

If you or a loved one has been charged with Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact the best criminal defense attorneys from the O’Malley Law Office at 303-265-1950 today. Together, we can protect your future.

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