Meet Katie
Katie has been standing up for people in Court for twenty years.
Katie was born in Boulder in 1975, and she spent the majority of her childhood on the Western Slope of Colorado. Katie went to law school at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law where she had her first clients in the nationally-renowned Criminal Clinic. She graduated in 2004 in the top 16% of her law school class. Soon after graduating, the College of Law invited her to return to be the Key Note Speaker for the Clinical Programs 100-year Anniversary Gala.
Katie has known from the first time she stepped into a courtroom that she is instinctively a defender, and she has spent the last twenty years standing up for people in court. Katie started her legal career as a public defender in the Denver trial office, where she was doing (and winning) jury trials before she passed the bar exam. As a public defender, Katie had a reputation for her outstanding trial advocacy. She represented thousands of clients and handled every kind of criminal case, from homicides and sex assaults to DUI’s. Katie developed her litigation technique as well as important negotiation skills that often saved her clients years in prison.
Katie is a well-known and respected defense attorney in Colorado. She has built her reputation having done almost 100 jury trials in courtrooms all over Colorado and litigating countless Constitutional and legal issues in court. Katie is a natural at trial work and in the courtroom. People often tell her she looks like she’s having fun in court, and that is probably true. Yet, it is her relentless drive for better, for each client, and for the legal system as a whole that stands out, and ultimately gets her clients results. Katie has the difficult conversations. She stays the course when others might back down. Katie’s “North Star” is that she would want a true fighter on her side if she were standing in her client’s shoes, and she aspires to and delivers on that value for her clients.
Katie has had notable cases in local and Statewide-media over the years. In 2019, Katie and her husband Brian tried a serious sexual assault case that not only resulted in the dismissal of all charges against her client, but also resulted in the court setting aside convictions for two other co-defendants who were represented by different attorneys, with one walking out of prison a free man and the other getting his sentence drastically reduced. Katie treats every case, whether it’s a DUI or a sex assault as a unique challenge, and she works tirelessly to get the best result, which is often outright dismissals, no-file agreements, greatly reduced plea offers, and acquittals.
True to her Colorado roots, Katie is down to earth and relatable, having weathered a storm or two. Her experience has given her deep empathy for people and their circumstances, and compassion in her advocacy, which is evident every single time she steps up to the podium on a client’s behalf. She is continuously humbled by this work, and her clients, and feels incredible gratitude to get to do what she does.
Recent testimonials
“I couldn’t have asked for a better person to represent my son in court. I can’t thank you enough for the amazing job you did. He deserves a chance and you made sure he got it.”
“I can focus on my future and not be consumed with fear and anxiety. I admire the way you worked in the courtroom and took the time to listen to me.”
“I am in tears right now. Thank you so, so, so much!”
“She spent a lot of time on my case and cared about me as a person. She is the best attorney I have seen.”
“I thought it prudent to reach out and thank you again for your legal assistance when I was accused years ago. I wouldn’t be where I am without your professionalism and empathy.”
“Katie is a bad-ass in court.”
Recent representative case outcomes
- Full dismissal of DWAI charge (chemical test) after motions hearing litigation
- Sanctions ordered against DA for discovery violations, reduction of charges
- No criminal filing- sexual assault (no consent)
- No criminal filing-sexual assault (no consent)
- No criminal filing-sexual assault (no consent)
- Full dismissal-menacing (domestic violence)
- Full dismissal after motions hearing litigation- DUI second (refusal)
- Full dismissal after motions litigation- DWAI
- Full dismissal-harassment
- Deferred judgment-vehicular assault with a DUI basis, habitual DUI (split plea)
- Full dismissal- harassment (domestic violence)
- Full dismissal- violation of protection order (domestic violence)
- Full dismissal- felony fraud and perjury
- Full dismissal- felony menacing
- Full dismissal-felony stalking (domestic violence)
- Full dismissal-felony criminal trespass (domestic violence)
- Full dismissal-felony second degree assault-strangulation (domestic violence)
- Full dismissal-third degree assault
- Full dismissal-DUI (3rd offense) and DUI per se
- Full dismissal-felony second degree assault-strangulation (domestic violence)
- Full dismissal after hung jury of all charges-sex assault by force
- Acquittal after trial -misdemeanor theft
- Acquittal after trial-invasion of privacy
- Acquittal on all charges after trial-Careless driving causing serious bodily injury and no proof of insurance
- Dismissal after deferred on lesser charge-DF1 distribution of controlled substance-weighted
- Careless driving plead down from DUI (2nd offense) and DUI per se
- Reckless driving plead down from DUID (2nd offense)
- Full dismissal after mistrial, vehicular homicide and vehicular assault, various charges
Lectures, Articles, and Talks
- “Avoiding Emotional Pitfalls in the Practice of Law,” Author and Presenter, Continuing Legal Education, September 2022
- Contributor on Attorney Wellness, Criminal Elements Newsletter, a publication of the CCDB, 2021
- Key Note Speaker, University of Denver, Sturm College of Law, Clinical Programs 100-year Gala, 2004
- Moot Court Advisor and Coach, Aurora Public Schools, 2007
- Guest Lecturer, University of Denver, Sturm College of Law, Clinical Programs
- Guest Lecturer, Fort Lewis College
- Guest Speaker, Animas High School
- Community Partner-Fort Lewis College Internships and Mentoring Programs
Appointments, Boards and Community Work
- Legislative Appointee to the Colorado Judicial Performance Commission, 2018
- Elected to Colorado Criminal Defense Bar Board, 2018
- Southwest Colorado Chapter Head, Colorado Criminal Defense Bar
- Volunteer, COLAP (Colorado Lawyer’s Assistance Program)
- Mentor, CAMP (Colorado Attorney Mentor Program)
- Volunteer, Rio Rapids Youth Soccer Club
- Founder (in profectum), BAAR (Bar Association of Attorneys in Recovery)
Professional Associations
- Colorado Criminal Defense Bar
- Colorado Bar Association
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- American Bar Association
Licenses
- Colorado Supreme Court, 2004
- United States District Court, District of Colorado 2009
- Southern Ute Tribal Court
Recent Representative Published Cases
People v. Clark, 500 P.3d 356 (Colo. 2020)(interlocutory appeal and trial attorney), People v. Cline, 2022 COA 135, 20CA1121 (Colo. App. 2022) (trial attorney), People v. Knapp, 487 P.3d 243 (Colo. App. 2020)(trial attorney)
