What Does It Mean to Be Charged with Menacing?

Most people in the Denver area expect to go about their lives without feeling threatened or unsafe. However, there are people out there who jeopardize that general feeling of safety, whether they mean to or not. Though threatening someone may seem harmless under most circumstances, Colorado law takes threats very seriously. Menacing can lead to criminal charges and even jail time.

Menacing occurs when an individual knowingly places another person in fear by means of a threat or physical action. Most of the time, menacing is a class 3 misdemeanor; however, it may be bumped up to a class 5 felony if an individual threatens another individual with a deadly weapon. Menacing may even be considered a felony if the threatened individual merely believes that he is being threatened with a deadly weapon, or if he is deliberately led to believe that the item is a deadly weapon. As you can imagine, the circumstances surrounding a menacing charge may be subject to hearsay—if you’re facing a menacing charge in the Denver area, call an experienced criminal defense attorney.