This web page contains the elements of the Colorado Crimes of False Imprisonment (18-3-303)

These are only the basic elements of these crimes – to fully understand a crime with which you are charged you will need a much greater understanding of Colorado Criminal Law.

This web site is designed to empower criminal defendants by helping them understand every phase of the criminal justice process. It also addresses the different types of defenses and strategies that exist in the Colorado Criminal Justice System.

If you are charged with a crime and seek to understand the new world you have entered – you need to understand that criminal laws and procedures can be so complex that even judges can get them wrong.

False Imprisonment (18-3-303)

1.Any person who knowingly confines or detains another without the other’s consent and without proper legal authority commits false imprisonment. This section shall not apply to a peace officer acting in good faith within the scope of his or her duties.

2.False imprisonment is a class 2 misdemeanor; except that false imprisonment is a class 5 felony if:

(a) The person uses force or threat of force to confine or detain the other person; and

(b) The person confines or detains the other person for twelve hours or longer