Collateral Consequences of Conviction

There can be many consequences to a criminal conviction beyond the conviction and sentence itself, including effects on a person’s employment, housing, and immigration status. These are called collateral consequences.

Colorado law allows some people suffering from collateral consequences to ask the trial court for relief from those consequences. For more information, including forms you can use to ask the court for relief, visit the Colorado Judicial Branch page.

Additional information on collateral consequences is available from our office:

• Adults Convicted of a Crime: Colorado Public Defender’s Consequences of Conviction Manual
• Kids Adjudicated of a Crime: Colorado Public Defender’s Consequences of Adjudication Manual for Kid’s Accused of Crimes

(The Consequences of Conviction and Consequences of Adjudication are provided for your information. They do not constitute legal advice and are not a complete list of everything that could happen if you are convicted of a crime.)

In addition, the following organizations provide great resources to help you navigate the collateral consequences of a conviction:

• Collateral Consequences Resource Center
• National Reentry Resource Center
• National Criminal Defense Lawyers Restoration of Rights Project
• Colorado State Petition to Discontinue Sex Offender Registration
• Orders of Collateral Relief