The most serious crime that any Colorado resident could be accused of is murder. When a murder happens, and a suspect is accused, that individual will want to secure the highest quality legal council available because if he or she loses the case, the individual could go to jail for life.
In a recent El Paso County case, five young adults were arrested on first-degree murder charges. Five others were also charged with crimes relating to the deaths. The arrests came after two teenagers were found dead last month close to the Pikes Peak International Raceway.
Authorities have yet to release how the victims died. Nor have they indicated what the motive was to kill them. What we do know is that the victims were teenagers aged 15 and 16. It’s not likely that much information will be revealed any time soon as the judge has issued a gag order on the case proceedings. The judge also sealed the court documents. Criminal defense experts from El Paso County say that it is unusual that the court documents would be sealed and gag orders issued.
The five suspects who have been charged with murder relating the deaths will appear in court on April 30. Each of them will have the right to an individualized criminal defense, and they will be able to choose their method of pleading. If they agree to plead guilty, they might be able to negotiate a plea bargain for a reduced punishment. However, if evidence against any of them is not particularly strong, some of the defendants might choose to defend themselves all the way to trial in order to seek acquittal or a verdict of not guilty.
Source: kdvr.com, “5 charged with first-degree murder in El Paso County double homicide,” Michael Konopasek, April 11, 2017