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 where she had her first clients in the Criminal Clinic. She graduated in 2004 in the top 16% of her law school class and was invited to be the Key Note Speaker for the Clinical Programs 100-year Anniversary Gala in 2004.
Katie knew from the first time she stepped into a courtroom that she was (and 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. She 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 other 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, 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 pushes when others might back down. Simply put, she does not give up. Her “North Star” is that she would want a true fighter on her side if she were standing in her clients’ shoes. She aspires to and delivers on that value in defending each and every client.
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.
Katie possesses tenacity and compassion, that she uses every single time she steps up to the podium on a client’s behalf. She is continuously humbled by this work, and feels incredible gratitude to get to do it.
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
- Outright dismissal after motions hearing litigation- DUI second (refusal)
- Deferred judgment-vehicular assault (split plea)
- Outright dismissal- harassment (domestic violence)
- Outright dismissal- violation of protection order (domestic violence)
- Outright dismissal- felony fraud and perjury
- Outright dismissal- felony menacing
- Outright dismissal-felony stalking (domestic violence)
- Outright dismissal-felony criminal trespass (domestic violence)
- Outright dismissal-felony second degree assault-strangulation (domestic violence)
- Outright dismissal-third degree assault
- Outright dismissal-DUI (3rd offense) and DUI per se
- Outright dismissal-felony second degree assault-strangulation (domestic violence)
- 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-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)
- 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
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)
