H. Michael Steinberg - Colorado Criminal Defense Specialist Mr. Steinberg graduated from the University of Massachusetts in 1978, cum laude (with honors) with a B.A. in Legal Studies/Honors Studies. Thereafter he graduated from the University of Oregon Law School in 1982. and came to the great state of Colorado. His first position as an attorney was to work side by side with one of the great District Court judges of the Denver bench, the Honorable Alvin D. Litchenstein. Judge Litchenstein taught Mr. Steinberg the meaning of hard work to accomplish just results in, and out, of the courtroom. As a career district attorney for over twelve years, Mr. Steinberg has handled several thousand serious felony cases and countless misdemeanor and traffic cases. He has taken dozens of jury trials to verdict and has argued hundreds of contested adversarial hearings while actively engaged in the practice of trial and appellate law in the Denver Area area for the last seventeen years. From 1984 to 1997, Mr. Steinberg was a Senior Trial Deputy District Attorney for the Arapahoe County District Attorney's Office - the second largest judicial district in the State of Colorado. Mr. Steinberg prosecuted numerous top level felony cases, including several high profile felony crimes of violence and white collar criminal cases (see below). Mr. Steinberg stays up to date with the ever changing area of criminallaw - for many years he has been an instructor at the Community College of Aurora. Mr. Steinberg also teaches law enforcement officers and cadets at sheriff and police academies along the front range...among them the Colorado Sheriffs Training Institute , and the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Training Academy as well as the retraining of the security forces at Rocky Flats -(which involves the retooling of the armed and unarmed uniformed protective force involved in the physical protection of the DOE/Rocky Flats ETS property site). Among the courses he regularly teaches are Constitutional Law - emphasis on all aspects of search and seizure law, Juvenile Law, Torts and Personal Injury Law, Evidence, Criminal Law and Procedure, Criminology, Use of Force, Courtroom Testimony, the civil liability of police officers and several other courses relating to law enforcement issues. Mr. Steinberg's experience also includes an extensive foundation in appellate work. As a former Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of Colorado, Criminal Enforcement Section, he has pursued several complex appeals in the Colorado Court of Appeals and in the Colorado Supreme Court on behalf of the the State. Several of those cases have made new law in the state. He now brings that appellate experience to bear on behalf of his clients Many of Mr. Steinberg's cases have been published by the Colorado Court of Appeal and the Colorado Supreme Court. When you are being accused of criminal conduct, what you need is a attorney who is just as driven by the desire to defend people as the prosecutor is driven by the need to prosecute. Civil attorneys, to me meaning attorneys who devote less than half of their practice to criminal defense, usually concern themselves with proving a case. They handle cases by presenting proof of some injury caused by the other side. Criminal defense attorneys think in terms of attacking a case, knowing that they must focus on what the other side is trying to prove so that this 'proof' can be picked apart, piece by piece. Criminal defense attorneys appreciate that the opponent must prove a charge against their client "beyond a reasonable doubt," a standard of proof that must be exploited, a standard of proof much higher than civil attorneys apply in their cases. And criminal defense attorneys attack cases with tools never used by civil attorneys. Motions to suppress interviews and statements, to suppress evidence seized from an office, home or computer, or to exclude business records, are examples of such tools. The Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Eighth Amendments to the United States Constitution are such tools. The complex and ever changing caselaw relating to crimes, criminal procedure and criminal evidence is another such tool, a tool that is not used well by a attorney who doesn't practice in the criminal courts daily. Unless your attorney regularly deals with such criminal law issues, his or her imagination may not be primed to seize upon the subtle nuances of the facts which will permit the fashioning of a winning defense. Contact Me Today 877-533-6276

Denver Colorado Criminal Defense of Identity Theft

It is accurate to say that most people in Colorado and elsewhere have been impacted by the crime of Identity Theft. As a result, judges, juries and prosecutors are not sympathetic to people charged with Identity Theft and related crimes.

Whether credit card account information from a customer is swiped at a restaurant, an individual possesses counterfeit, stolen or fraudulently obtained credit cards, or someone is using personal information obtained from online "dumps," it is imperative that your attorney has real experience with the complex issues involved in this crime. H. Michael Steinberg, a former Colorado Career Prosecutor ( DA) has real Identity Theft training and experience. Mr. Steinberg not only received specialized Identity Theft training as a prosecutor and has taught others about Identity Theft, Mr. Steinberg has represented individuals charged with these crimes as well.

For an individual charged in Colorado State with Identity Theft, the crime generally occurs when a person obtains a victim's personal identifying information and uses that information for his or her benefit. More specifically, Identity Theft occurs if someone uses another person's identity‑related information for personal gain or to cause financial harm to another. Assuming someone's identity involves presenting himself as another person, usually via using another's personal identifying information. "Personal identification information" can refer to debit card numbers, credit card numbers, social security numbers, and also a person's mother's maiden name. Identity Theft crimes, depending on the nature of the offense, are classified as anywhere from lower level misdemeanors to higher level felonies, depending on the value of the information used or the value of goods and services acquired with that information. Felony identity theft can result in many years spent behind bars in state prison.

Identity Theft is a charge prosecutors can easily establish with minimal effort such as where an individual merely uses another person's check to take money without permission. On the other hand, Identity Theft charges are often more complex and brought against individuals or crews involved in sophisticated schemes such as credit card "bust outs," "identity takeovers," "data breaches," or other criminal enterprises.

Prosecutors can make Identity Theft charges more severe, especially if the identity theft takes place along with another felony. If the other felony carries a heavier sentence than does the identity theft charge, the more severe of the two charges can be used against the suspect.

Identity Theft is often charged together with other crimes such as

Unlawful Possession of Personal Identifying Information
Scheme to Defraud
Grand Larceny
Unlawful Possession of a Skimmer Device
Possession of a Forged Instrument
Forgery
Possession of Stolen Property

Additionally, the District Attorney's Office can prosecute you even if you never stepped one foot in their jurisdiction.

Before retaining any attorney to represent you for crimes relating to Identity Theft ask him or her what specific training and experience he or she has and how you can use that training and experience to your advantage. You owe it to yourself to retain a criminal defense attorney who is not merely a general practitioner with minimal or no Identity Theft experience who juggles a criminal and civil practice, but The Steinberg Colorado Criminal Defense Law Firm with Mr. Steinberg's real hands on experience and training.

Call us at (303) 627‑7777 or (303) 543-4433 - or contact us online today.