Arrested on suspicion of solicitation, vagrancy, or trespassing in Colorado Springs? You might be prevented from returning to downtown for any reason under a new rule under consideration by the city, according to a recent article in the Colorado Springs Gazette.
Under the rule that may soon be enforced by Colorado Springs police, a person could be banned from the downtown area if they are arrested five times within eighteen months. The ban would be part of a deferred probation or suspended sentence if the arrested person is convicted.
The area that would be “off limits” to a person under the ban includes the area between Boulder Street and Colorado Avenue and between Cascade Avenue and Nevada Avenue. While the city administration building and the bus terminal would be open to people affected by the ban, the areas between these sites and the spaces “outside” the banned area would not. This arrangement of banned and “open” areas raised questions from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which pointed out that banned individuals would have no way of getting to or from the bus terminal or administration building without violating the ban.
According to the city attorney’s office, Colorado Springs first created the geographical restrictions in 2006, but it appears they have not been uniformly enforced. Currently, the city believes that eleven people would be eligible to be banned based on their arrest records and criminal convictions.
An arrest can be tough to face, and a conviction for a crime comes with even bigger problems. If you’ve been arrested, don’t hesitate to contact an experienced Colorado Springs criminal defense attorney like the team at The Bussey Law Firm, P.C. We fight to protect our clients’ Constitutional rights and to seek the best possible outcome in the case. Call us today to learn more.