2023 Colorado Revised Statutes › Title 18 - CRIMINAL CODE (§§ 18-1-101 — 18-26-102) › Article 1.3 - SENTENCING IN CRIMINAL CASES (§§ 18-1.3-101 — 18-1.3-1407) › Part 4 - SENTENCES TO IMPRISONMENT (§§ 18-1.3-401 — 18-1.3-410) › Section 18-1.3-401.5 - Drug felonies classified - presumptive and aggravated penalties - legislative intent

(1)
The provisions of this section only apply to a conviction for a drug felony offense described in article
18
of this title committed on or after October 1, 2013. For purposes of this section, "felony" means any felony or drug felony defined in the state statutes.
(2)
(a)
For offenses committed on or after October 1, 2013, drug felonies are divided into four levels that are distinguished from one another by the ranges of penalties, which are authorized upon conviction of a drug felony:
Level
Presumptive Range
Period of Parole
DF1
Eight years Thirty-two years
Three years
DF2
Four years Eight years
Two years
DF3
Two years Four years
One year
DF4
Six months One year
One year
Level
Aggravated Range
Period of Parole
DF2
Eight years Sixteen years
Two years
DF3
Four years Six years
One year
DF4
One year Two years
One year
(b)
(I)
As to any person sentenced for a drug felony committed on or after October 1, 2013, except as otherwise provided in subparagraph (V) of this paragraph (b) and in subsection (7) of this section, in addition to, or in lieu of, any sentence to imprisonment, probation, community corrections, or work release, a fine within the following ranges may be imposed for the specified level of drug felonies:
Level
Minimum Sentence
Maximum Sentence
DF1
Five thousand dollars
One million dollars
DF2
Three thousand dollars
Seven hundred fifty thousand dollars
DF3
Two thousand dollars
Five hundred thousand dollars
DF4
One thousand dollars
One hundred thousand dollars
(II)
Failure to pay a fine imposed pursuant to this paragraph (b) is grounds for revocation of probation, community corrections, or a suspended sentence, if the defendant has the ability to pay the fine.
(III)
If a revocation occurs pursuant to subparagraph (II) of this paragraph (b), the court may impose any sentence legally available, subject to the provisions of section
18-1.3-104.5 (2)
.
(IV)
All fines collected pursuant to this paragraph (b) must be deposited in the fines collection fund created in section
18-1.3-401 (1)(a)(III)(D)
and are subject to the provisions of that section.
(V)
Notwithstanding the provisions of subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (b), a person who has been twice convicted of a felony under the laws of this state, any other state, or the United States prior to the conviction for which he or she is being sentenced shall not be eligible to receive a fine in lieu of any sentence to imprisonment, community corrections, or work release but shall be sentenced to at least the minimum sentence specified in paragraph (a) of this subsection (2) and may receive a fine in addition to said sentence.
(2.5)
It is the intent of the general assembly that sentencing for crimes that involve fentanyl, carfentanil, benzimidazole opiate, or any analog thereof, as described in section
18-18-204 (2)(g)
, even in small quantities, reflect the high risk of addiction and death associated with fentanyl, carfentanil, benzimidazole opiate, or any analog thereof. Therefore, the education and treatment procedures provided in section
18-1.3-410
must be implemented to address this substantial health risk.
(3)
A person who is paroled pursuant to section
17-22.5-403
, C.R.S., or any person who is not paroled and is discharged pursuant to law, shall be subject to the mandatory period of parole established pursuant to paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of this section. The mandatory period of parole may not be waived by the offender or waived or suspended by the court and is subject to the provisions of section
17-22.5-403 (6)
, C.R.S., which permits the state board of parole to discharge the offender at any time during the term of parole upon a determination that the offender has been sufficiently rehabilitated and reintegrated into society and can no longer benefit from parole supervision.
(4)
The mandatory period of parole imposed pursuant to paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of this section commences immediately upon the discharge of an offender from imprisonment in the custody of the department of corrections. If the offender has been granted release to parole supervision by the state board of parole, the offender is deemed to have discharged the offender's sentence to imprisonment provided for in subsection (2) of this section in the same manner as if such sentence were discharged pursuant to law. When an offender is released by the state board of parole or released because the offender's sentence was discharged pursuant to law, the mandatory period of parole must be served by the offender. An offender sentenced for a drug felony may receive earned time pursuant to section
17-22.5-405
, C.R.S., while serving a mandatory parole period in accordance with this section.
(5)
If an offender is sentenced consecutively for the commission of two or more felony offenses pursuant to sentencing provisions in this section or section
18-1.3-401
, the mandatory period of parole for the offender must be the longest mandatory period of parole established for a felony for which the offender was convicted.
(6)
Any person sentenced for a level 1, 2, 3, or 4 drug felony that is the offender's second or subsequent felony or drug felony offense, regardless of the length of the person's sentence to incarceration and the mandatory period of parole, is not deemed to have fully discharged his or her sentence until the person either completes, or is discharged by the state board of parole from, the mandatory period of parole imposed pursuant to paragraph (a) of subsection (2) of this section.
(7)
Except as provided in section
18-18-405 (2)(a)(III)(B)
, notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, if the defendant is convicted of a level 1 drug felony, the court shall sentence the defendant to a term of incarceration in the department of corrections of at least eight years but not more than thirty-two years. The presence of one or more of the aggravating circumstances provided in subsection (10)(a) of this section or in section
18-18-407 (1)
requires the court to sentence a defendant convicted of a level 1 drug felony to a term of incarceration in the department of corrections of at least twelve years but no more than thirty-two years. The court may impose a fine in addition to imprisonment.
(8)
In imposing a sentence to incarceration, the court shall impose a definite sentence that is within the presumptive ranges set forth in subsection (2) of this section; except that, for level 2, level 3, and level 4 drug felonies, the court may sentence the defendant in the aggravated range if it concludes aggravating circumstances exist. The aggravating circumstances must be based on evidence in the record of the sentencing hearing, the presentence report, and any factors agreed to by the parties and must support a different sentence that better serves the purposes of this code with respect to sentencing, as set forth in section
18-1-102.5
.
(9)
In all cases, except as provided in subsection (10) of this section, in which a sentence that is not within the presumptive range is imposed, the court shall make specific findings on the record, detailing the aggravating circumstances that constitute the reasons for varying from the presumptive sentence.
(10)
(a)
Except for a level 1 drug felony, the presence of one or more of the following aggravating circumstances at the time of the commission of a drug felony offense requires the court, if it sentences the defendant to incarceration, to sentence the defendant to a term of at least the midpoint in the presumptive range but not more than the maximum term of the aggravated range:
(I)
The defendant was on parole for another felony;
(II)
The defendant was on probation or was on bond while awaiting sentencing following revocation of probation for another felony;
(III)
The defendant was under confinement, in prison, or in any correctional institution as a convicted felon, or an escapee from any correctional institution for another felony;
(III.5)
The defendant was on appeal bond following his or her conviction for a previous felony;
(IV)
The defendant was on probation for or on bond while awaiting sentencing following revocation of probation for a delinquent act that would have constituted a felony if committed by an adult; or
(V)
The defendant committed a violation of section
18-18-405 (2)(a)(III)(A)
, and the unlawful distribution, manufacturing, dispensing, or sale of the material, compound, mixture, or preparation weighed more than fifty grams and contained fentanyl, carfentanil, benzimidazole opiate, or an analog thereof as described in section
18-18-204 (2)(g)
.
(b)
In any case in which one or more of the aggravating circumstances provided for in paragraph (a) of this subsection (10) exist, the provisions of subsection (9) of this section do not apply.
(c)
Nothing in this subsection (10) precludes the court from considering aggravating circumstances other than those stated in paragraph (a) of this subsection (10) as the basis for sentencing the defendant to a term greater than the presumptive range for the drug felony.
(11)
Except for a level 1 drug felony, the presence of any one or more of the following sentence-enhancing circumstances allows the court, if it sentences the defendant to incarceration, to sentence the defendant to a term in the presumptive or aggravated range:
(a)
At the time of the commission of the drug felony, the defendant was charged with or was on bond for a felony in a previous case and the defendant was convicted of any felony in the previous case;
(b)
At the time of the commission of the drug felony, the defendant was charged with or was on bond for a delinquent act that would have constituted a felony if committed by an adult;
(c)
At the time of the commission of the drug felony, the defendant was on bond for having pled guilty to a lesser offense when the original offense charged was a felony;
(c.5)
At the time of the commission of the drug felony, the defendant was under a deferred judgment and sentence for another felony;
(d)
At the time of the commission of the drug felony, the defendant was on bond in a juvenile prosecution under title
19
, C.R.S., for having pled guilty to a lesser delinquent act when the original delinquent act charged would have constituted a felony if committed by an adult;
(e)
At the time of the commission of the drug felony, the defendant was under a deferred judgment and sentence for a delinquent act that would have constituted a felony if committed by an adult; or
(f)
At the time of the commission of the drug felony, the defendant was on parole for having been adjudicated a delinquent child for an offense that would constitute a felony if committed by an adult.
(12)
When it appears to the satisfaction of the court that the ends of justice and the best interest of the public, as well as the defendant, will be best served thereby, the court has the power to suspend the imposition or execution of sentence for such period and upon such terms and conditions as it may deem best; except that the court may not suspend a sentence when the defendant is convicted of a level 1 drug felony. In no instance may a sentence be suspended if the defendant is ineligible for probation pursuant to section
18-1.3-201
, except upon an express waiver being made by the sentencing court regarding a particular defendant upon recommendation of the district attorney and approval of such recommendation by an order of the sentencing court pursuant to section
18-1.3-201 (4)
.
(13)
Every sentence entered under this section must include consideration of restitution as required by part 6 of this article and by article
18.5
of title
16
, C.R.S.
(14)
(a)
Notwithstanding subsection (2)(a) of this section, for the purpose of sentencing a person convicted of a level 4 drug felony committed on or after July 1, 2022, in violation of section
18-18-403.5
(2.5), a court shall either sentence an offender to probation for up to two years, with the possibility of a total of one hundred eighty days in county jail, or for a third or subsequent offense, a total of up to three hundred sixty-four days in county jail, which may be imposed in whole or in part during the time period of probation as a condition of probation or as a sanction for a violation of probation; or sentence an offender to up to one hundred eighty days in the county jail; except that for a third or subsequent offense, the court may sentence an offender to up to three hundred sixty-four days in the county jail if the court sentences the offender to jail. In addition to the sentence to probation or to the county jail, the court may impose a fine of not more than one thousand dollars.
(b)
A court may sentence a person convicted of a level 4 drug felony committed on or after July 1, 2022, in violation of section
18-18-403.5
(2.5), to a county jail sentencing alternative provided pursuant to section
18-1.3-106
or placement in a community corrections program as a condition of probation provided pursuant to section
18-1.3-301 (4)
as a sentencing alternative.
(c)
Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, an offender convicted of a level 4 drug felony committed on or after July 1, 2022, in violation of section
18-18-403.5
(2.5), is not subject to the jurisdiction of the department of corrections or a mandatory period of parole.
Amended by 2022 Ch. 225, § 6, eff. 7/1/2022, app. to offenses committed on or after 7/1/2022.
Amended by 2015 Ch. 37, § 8, eff. 3/20/2015.
Amended by 2014 Ch. 391, § 11, eff. 6/6/2014.
Added by 2013 Ch. 333, § 4, eff. 10/1/2013.
L. 2013: Entire section added, (SB 13-250), ch. 333, p. 1903, § 4, effective October 1. L. 2014: IP(2)(b)(I), (4), (7), (11), and (12) amended and (2)(b)(V) and (10)(a)(III.5) added, (SB 14-163), ch. 391, p. 1972, § 11, effective June 6. L. 2015: (3) amended, (HB 15-1122), ch. 37, p. 92, § 8, effective March 20.
For the legislative declaration in HB 15-1122, see section 1 of chapter 37, Session Laws of Colorado 2015.