Can An Assault Charge Cost You Your Job in Colorado?
An assault charge can threaten your job even before you go to court. Most people worry first about jail, fines, probation, or having a criminal record. These are serious issues, but losing your job can be just as tough. A pending assault case can show up on background checks, lead to workplace discipline, affect your professional license, security clearance, chances for promotion, and future job offers. We understand how stressful it is when one accusation puts your income, reputation, and ability to support your family at risk. At Watkins Law Firm LLC, we help clients in Boulder and the Denver area facing assault charges and are concerned about how it could affect their futures.
Colorado Assault Charges Can Affect How Employers See You
Colorado assault charges are not all the same. First-degree assault is addressed under C.R.S. § 18-3-202 and generally involves very serious allegations, such as causing serious bodily injury with a deadly weapon or acting under circumstances showing extreme indifference. Second-degree assault is addressed under C.R.S. § 18-3-203 and can include allegations involving bodily injury, a deadly weapon, strangulation-related facts, or interference with certain protected workers. Third-degree assault is addressed under C.R.S. § 18-3-204 and may involve knowingly, recklessly, or criminally negligently causing bodily injury.
Employers often do not know the differences between these charges. They might see the word “assault” and think the worst. This can be unfair, especially if your case involves self-defense, a misunderstanding, mistaken identity, minor injuries, confusion from alcohol, or a single argument that escalated. Even so, just being charged can cause problems at work before anything is proven.
A Pending Assault Charge May Appear On A Background Check
A pending assault charge can show up on a background check unless the record is sealed or restricted by law. This can affect people applying for jobs, changing jobs, renewing licenses, or trying for a promotion. Colorado’s Chance to Compete Act, C.R.S. § 8-2-130, limits some criminal-history questions on the first job application. This law helps applicants get a fairer first look, but it does not erase a criminal record. It also does not stop all employers from doing a background check later in the hiring process if the law allows it.
This difference is important. Some people think employers cannot consider a pending case because of “ban the box” rules, but that is not always true. A criminal record can still come up during hiring, especially for jobs that involve safety, public trust, working with vulnerable people, driving, weapons, healthcare, education, law enforcement, government, or entering private homes.
Your Current Employer May Take Action
Employers can react to an assault charge in different ways. Some may wait for a conviction before acting. Others might suspend you, put you on leave, change your job duties, limit your contact with customers, or even fire you, depending on company policy. The risk is higher if the incident happened at work, involved a coworker or customer, used company property, or became public.
Be careful before talking to your employer about your case. It is natural to want to explain yourself, but anything you say to human resources, a supervisor, an investigator, or a coworker could be used against you later. If your employer asks about the case, the best response depends on your job, company policies, contract, and the facts of your case. We help clients think through these choices before they say something that could make things worse.
Licensed Professionals Face Added Risks
An assault charge can be especially serious for people with professional licenses. Teachers, nurses, doctors, lawyers, real estate agents, security workers, commercial drivers, contractors, counselors, and government employees may have to report the charge or answer licensing questions after an arrest or conviction. Licensing boards often look at issues like violence, alcohol use, judgment, public safety, and whether the behavior affects your ability to do your job.
A misdemeanor assault case can still have serious effects. A felony assault case is even riskier. Licensing boards may look at the details, such as the level of injury, if a weapon was involved, if domestic violence was part of the case, if substance use played a role, and whether you have taken steps to address the situation since the arrest. We defend assault cases with these professional consequences in mind because protecting your license or career can be just as important as the court outcome.
Domestic Violence Designations Can Make Employment Problems Worse
Some assault charges in Colorado come with a domestic violence label. This can cause extra problems at work because it may lead to protection orders, limits on contact, firearm restrictions, housing issues, and public concern about safety. Even if the charge is only a misdemeanor, the domestic violence label can make employers, licensing boards, and security-clearance reviewers pay closer attention to your case.
A protection order can also cause problems at work. If the alleged victim works with you, lives nearby, shares childcare, or is part of your professional network, the order can affect your daily routine. Breaking a protection order can lead to new charges and make your original case harder to defend. We always tell clients to take every court order seriously, even if the accusation seems unfair.
Felony Assault Charges Can Create Long-Term Career Damage
Felony assault charges are much riskier. A felony conviction can affect your ability to get a job, keep a license, find housing, keep your civil rights, and earn money in the future. Many employers worry about workplace and customer safety and liability when violence is involved. Even after you finish your sentence, the record can follow you for years.
Colorado law allows some criminal conviction records to be sealed under C.R.S. § 24-72-706 if you meet certain legal requirements. Other sealing rules may apply if your case is dismissed, you are found not guilty, or you complete a deferred judgment. Sealing can limit public access to your record, but not every assault case qualifies. Some records may still be available to courts, police, prosecutors, and certain agencies. This is why it is important to start your defense early, before the case becomes a permanent record problem.
How We Defend Assault Cases With Employment In Mind
We do not see an assault case as just a courtroom issue. We consider how it could affect your job, license, income, family, and future. We review the police report, body camera video, 911 calls, witness statements, medical records, photos, statements from the alleged victim, self-defense evidence, and any past relationship between those involved. We also check for problems with identification, injury claims, conflicting stories, lack of intent, mutual fighting, defending someone else, and police mistakes.
Our goal is to protect your rights and reduce the harm. This could mean fighting for a dismissal, negotiating for a lesser charge, challenging weak evidence, seeking a deferred judgment if it fits, or getting ready for trial. The best defense depends on your situation. What matters most is thinking about job consequences from the start, not after your career is already affected.
FAQs About Assault Charges And Employment In Colorado
Can A Colorado Assault Charge Show Up On A Background Check?
Yes. A pending assault charge can show up on a background check unless the record is sealed or restricted. Employers may see the charge even before a conviction. This can cause problems for job seekers, current employees, licensed professionals, and those seeking promotions. The risk depends on the job and the type of assault charge. Jobs involving children, patients, customers, driving, weapons, security, or public trust are often affected more. We help clients avoid both criminal penalties and career damage from an assault allegation.
Can My Employer Fire Me For Being Charged With Assault?
It depends on your employer, your job, the facts of your case, and any contract, union agreement, or workplace policy. Some employers wait until the criminal case is over. Others may act right after an arrest, especially if the case involves workplace safety, violence, a coworker, a customer, or public attention. Be careful before explaining your situation to your employer. What you say at work can be used in a criminal case. Before talking to human resources or management, make sure you understand both the job risk and the criminal defense risk.
Does A Misdemeanor Assault Charge Matter For Employment?
Yes. A misdemeanor assault charge can still impact your job. Third-degree assault under C.R.S. § 18-3-204 is often a misdemeanor, but employers may still see it as a violent offense. This can raise concerns about your judgment, anger, workplace safety, or dealing with the public. For licensed professionals, even a misdemeanor can lead to reporting or disciplinary issues. The details matter. Cases involving self-defense, minor injuries, conflicting witnesses, or a weak investigation should not be treated like serious violent acts. We pay attention to these details when building your defense.
Can An Assault Charge Affect A Professional License?
Yes. Licensed professionals can face extra problems after an assault arrest or conviction. A licensing board may look at whether the alleged conduct affects your ability to work safely and responsibly. This is important for healthcare workers, teachers, lawyers, real estate agents, financial professionals, public employees, security workers, and others. The board may consider if the charge was a misdemeanor or felony, if there was serious injury, if a weapon was involved, if domestic violence was part of the case, and if you have taken steps to address the issue. A strong criminal defense can help reduce the impact on your license.
Can A Domestic Violence Assault Charge Cost Me My Job?
It can. A domestic violence label can make an assault charge more serious because it may bring protection orders, firearm restrictions, housing problems, and claims that employers take seriously. If the alleged victim works with you or has contact with your workplace, things can get even more complicated. A protection order can also affect your schedule, communication, childcare, and transportation. Breaking that order can lead to new charges. We help clients understand these rules, avoid mistakes, and fight the main accusation.
Can An Assault Record Be Sealed In Colorado?
Some assault records can be sealed, but it depends on the charge, the outcome, the waiting period, and your criminal history. C.R.S. § 24-72-706 covers sealing eligible conviction records. Other sealing laws may apply after dismissals, not-guilty verdicts, or successful deferred judgments. Not every assault case qualifies, especially if the offense is serious or restricted. Sealing should be part of your defense plan because a public record can affect your job long after your sentence is over.
Call Watkins Law Firm LLC For Help With A Boulder Assault Charge
If you are facing an assault charge and are worried about your job, license, background check, or future, Watkins Law Firm LLC can help. We defend clients accused of assault, domestic violence assault, felony assault, and other charges in Boulder and the Denver area. We know that a criminal charge can threaten your income before your case is finished, and we work to protect your record, your rights, and your future.
Contact our Boulder assault charge lawyer by calling us 24/7 at (303) 507-1324 for your free consultation. Our Boulder criminal defense lawyer represents clients in Boulder and throughout the Denver area from our office location in Boulder.
