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Colorado statute

C.R.S. § 18-8-610 — Tampering with physical evidence.

Current through 2025 Regular Session

Part of Part 6: OFFENSES RELATING TO JUDICIAL AND OTHER PROCEEDINGS, Colorado Revised Statutes.

Criminal charges under this statute

Full text of C.R.S. § 18-8-610

Statutory text current through the 2025 Regular Session. This is an officially sanctioned publication using the official text of the Colorado Revised Statutes; it is not the official statutes of the State of Colorado.

C.R.S. § 18-8-610Primary source, current through the 2025 Regular Session
(1) A person commits tampering with physical evidence if, believing that an official proceeding is pending or about to be instituted and acting without legal right or authority, he: (a) Destroys, mutilates, conceals, removes, or alters physical evidence with intent to impair its verity or availability in the pending or prospective official proceeding; or (b) Knowingly makes, presents, or offers any false or altered physical evidence with intent that it be introduced in the pending or prospective official proceeding. (2) "Physical evidence", as used in this section, includes any article, object, document, record, or other thing of physical substance; except that "physical evidence" does not include a human body, part of a human body, or human remains subject to a violation of section 18-8-610.5. (3) (a) Tampering with physical evidence of a felony crime is a class 6 felony. (b) Tampering with physical evidence of a misdemeanor crime is a class 1 misdemeanor.

Official sources

Legal terms used in this section

Questions this section answers

Is tampering with physical evidence a felony or a misdemeanor in Colorado?

It depends on the circumstances: tampering with physical evidence ranges from a class 1 misdemeanor to a class 6 felony in Colorado under C.R.S. § 18-8-610.

Tampering with physical evidence of a felony crime: class 6 felony (C.R.S. § 18-8-610(3)(a)) · Tampering with physical evidence of a misdemeanor crime: class 1 misdemeanor (C.R.S. § 18-8-610(3)(b))

Which Colorado statute covers tampering with physical evidence?

Tampering with physical evidence is governed by C.R.S. § 18-8-610 (Tampering with physical evidence).

This reference is informational and is not legal advice.