Colorado Springs Criminal Defense Attorney | 30+ Years Experience
- Aug 11
- 6 min read
Colorado Springs Criminal Defense Attorney With More Than 30 Years of Criminal Law Experience
When you are facing a criminal charge, the experience of your criminal defense attorney matters.
I am a Colorado Springs criminal defense attorney with more than 30 years of experience handling criminal cases, including more than 25 years devoted to criminal defense. Before becoming a defense lawyer, I spent approximately six years as a prosecutor with the District Attorney’s Office, where I handled cases ranging from DUI and misdemeanor domestic violence charges to serious felony and murder prosecutions.
My experience on both sides of the courtroom gives me a perspective that I bring to every criminal case I handle.
I have represented clients accused of everything from misdemeanor offenses to some of the most serious felony charges under Colorado law.
A Criminal Defense Lawyer With Deep Colorado Springs Roots
Colorado Springs is not simply where I practice law. It is my community.
I graduated from Widefield High School in Colorado Springs before continuing my education and beginning my legal career.
After becoming an attorney, I worked for approximately six years in the District Attorney’s Office serving the Colorado Springs and El Paso County community.
During my time as a prosecutor, I handled a wide variety of criminal cases and eventually took on supervisory responsibilities.
I served as a supervisor in the County Court Domestic Violence Unit and later was placed in charge of the Special Victims Unit of the District Attorney’s Office.
Those positions gave me extensive experience handling complicated and serious criminal allegations, evaluating evidence, preparing cases for trial, working with investigators and witnesses, and making decisions that could significantly affect the lives of everyone involved.
Today, I use that experience to defend people accused of crimes throughout Colorado.
Former Prosecutor and Experienced Colorado Criminal Defense Attorney
One of the advantages of hiring a former prosecutor as a criminal defense attorney is the ability to understand how the prosecution may evaluate a case.
As a prosecutor, I learned how criminal cases are charged, investigated, negotiated, and prepared for trial.
I learned what prosecutors look for when reviewing police reports and evidence. I learned how they evaluate witness credibility, how they identify weaknesses in a case, and what factors can influence decisions about plea negotiations or trial.
After leaving the District Attorney’s Office, I moved to criminal defense.
I have now spent more than 25 years representing people accused of crimes.
When I review a case today, I look at it from the perspective of a criminal defense attorney while also understanding how the prosecutor on the other side may be analyzing the same evidence.
That perspective can be extremely valuable when deciding how a criminal case should be defended.
Experience Handling Criminal Cases From DUI to Murder
Over more than three decades practicing criminal law, I have handled virtually every level of criminal case.
My criminal defense experience includes cases involving:
DUI and DWAI
Domestic violence
Assault
Harassment and menacing
Theft and property crimes
Drug offenses
Weapons charges
Sex offenses
Crimes involving children
Serious violent felonies
Habitual criminal allegations
Self-defense cases
Homicide
Murder
During my time at the District Attorney’s Office, I prosecuted everything from misdemeanor DUI and domestic violence cases to several murder cases.
As a Colorado criminal defense lawyer, I have defended clients against serious criminal accusations for more than 25 years.
That experience is important because no two criminal cases are exactly alike.
Some cases are won through careful negotiation. Others may depend on challenging an illegal search, attacking unreliable evidence, exposing inconsistencies in witness statements, presenting expert testimony, or demonstrating that the prosecution cannot prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
And sometimes the right decision is to take the case to trial.
Colorado Criminal Trial Experience
A criminal defense attorney should know how to negotiate a case, but a defense lawyer must also be prepared to try a case when trial is necessary.
Over the course of my career, I have handled numerous serious criminal trials.
One notable example was a Colorado homicide case involving the state’s so-called
“Make My Day” law.
My client was prosecuted for a killing that occurred inside his home. The case went to trial, and the jury acquitted my client of all charges.
The verdict received significant media attention and became part of a broader national discussion concerning Colorado’s home-defense and self-defense laws.
NBC News reported on the case:
The Denver Post also covered the acquittal:
That case is one example of the serious criminal matters I have handled during more than 30 years practicing criminal law.
Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee future outcomes. But experience trying serious criminal cases matters when a client’s freedom and future are at stake.
Why Experience Matters When Choosing a Colorado Springs Criminal Defense Lawyer
A criminal case can affect far more than whether someone goes to jail.
A criminal conviction can potentially affect:
Employment
Professional licenses
Family relationships
Security clearances
Housing
Firearm rights
Immigration status
Reputation
Future educational or career opportunities
Even a misdemeanor criminal case can have lasting consequences.
That is why I believe every criminal charge deserves to be taken seriously.
After more than three decades handling criminal cases, I have learned that the first police report rarely tells the entire story.
A criminal defense lawyer needs to investigate what actually happened, examine the evidence, identify weaknesses in the prosecution’s case, understand the applicable Colorado law, and determine the best strategy for the individual client.
Criminal Defense Strategies Must Be Built Around the Individual Case
There is no single criminal defense strategy that works in every situation.
Some cases involve disputed witness testimony.
Some involve false or exaggerated allegations.
Others involve constitutional violations, illegal searches, Miranda issues, unreliable identification procedures, forensic evidence, digital evidence, medical evidence, expert testimony, or questions of self-defense.
In other cases, the most important issue may be whether the prosecution can actually prove the required elements of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt.
Years of criminal law experience help an attorney identify which issues matter and which do not.
An experienced criminal defense lawyer should also understand when aggressive litigation is necessary and when negotiation may produce the best result.
Colorado Springs Criminal Defense Representation for Misdemeanor and Felony Charges
My criminal defense practice is not limited to one type of criminal charge.
I represent clients facing both misdemeanor and felony cases.
That includes people facing a first criminal accusation as well as individuals charged with extremely serious felony offenses.
For someone who has never been arrested before, a misdemeanor case can feel overwhelming and may create very real consequences.
For someone facing a serious felony, the stakes can include years or even decades of incarceration.
Both situations deserve careful legal representation.
My background as a former prosecutor, domestic violence unit supervisor, Special Victims Unit chief, and longtime criminal defense lawyer has given me experience handling criminal cases across that entire spectrum.
More Than 30 Years of Colorado Criminal Law Experience
I have spent my professional career working in criminal law.
I began as a prosecutor.
I supervised domestic violence prosecutions.
I later led the Special Victims Unit of the District Attorney’s Office.
I prosecuted serious felony and murder cases.
For more than 25 years since then, I have represented people accused of crimes as a criminal defense attorney.
Altogether, I have more than 30 years of experience handling Colorado criminal cases.
That experience includes thousands of decisions about evidence, witnesses, negotiations, trial strategy, criminal procedure, sentencing exposure, and how to protect a client’s interests when the stakes are high.
Colorado Springs Criminal Defense Attorney
If you have been arrested or accused of a crime in Colorado Springs or elsewhere in Colorado, the attorney you choose should have the experience necessary to understand both the legal issues and the practical realities of the criminal justice system.
My goal in every case is to carefully analyze the evidence, identify the available defenses, explain the options, and develop a strategy tailored to the individual client.
After more than 30 years practicing criminal law—and more than 25 years defending people accused of crimes—that remains the focus of my practice.
Ted McClintockColorado Springs Criminal Defense
719-520-3968
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