The Office of the District Attorney has announced the significant expansion of diversion opportunities for adults in Larimer and Jackson Counties. The Larimer County office was one of the first in Colorado to offer a targeted adult mental health diversion program in addition to our long-running and highly successful juvenile-specific diversion program. Effective immediately, they will also offer a new diversion program for all adults with qualifying offenses.
Diversion programs aim to provide individuals with the opportunity to take responsibility while emphasizing personal growth and harm repair in the community. Under this new program, District Attorney staff will proactively screen misdemeanor and petty offense cases for eligibility prior to a defendant’s first appearance in court. Courtroom Deputy District Attorneys will also refer cases to the program, including some low-level felonies.
High-level felonies, traffic, and domestic violence offenses are not eligible for the program. Program participants will meet with a diversion coordinator to discuss the terms of their diversion agreement. Those who successfully complete the program will have their criminal case dismissed and will be eligible to have the case sealed.
“Expanding our diversion offerings benefits the accused as well as the criminal justice system. Qualifying individuals are held accountable without experiencing the lasting consequences of a guilty plea. This allows us to focus limited prosecutorial, court, and probation resources on more complex cases,” said Senior Deputy District Attorney Robert Axmacher.
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