2023 Colorado Revised Statutes › Title 18 - CRIMINAL CODE (§§ 18-1-101 — 18-26-102) › Article 13 - MISCELLANEOUS OFFENSES (§§ 18-13-101 — 18-13-133) › Section 18-13-126 - Locating protected persons

(1)
(a)
Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection (1), a person shall not accept money or other form of compensation to assist a restrained person from discovering the location of a protected person when the person knows or reasonably should know that the restrained person is subject to a court order prohibiting contact with the protected person.
(b)
The provisions of paragraph (a) of this subsection (1) shall not apply to a person who is working pursuant to an agreement with counsel for a restrained person or with the restrained person if he or she is representing himself or herself, if:
(I)
(A)
The restrained person seeks discovery of the location of the protected person for a lawful purpose as specified in a written agreement between the person and the restrained person or his or her counsel; and
(B)
The written agreement states that the location of the protected person shall not be disclosed by the person or by counsel for the restrained person to the restrained person unless the protected person has agreed to the disclosure in writing or the restrained person obtains court permission to obtain disclosure of the location for the stated lawful purpose; or
(II)
(A)
The restrained person is a defendant in a criminal case or a party to a civil case, an action for dissolution of marriage, or other legal proceeding; and
(B)
The agreement states that the lawful purpose for locating the protected person is to interview or issue a lawful subpoena or summons to the protected person or for any other lawful purpose relating to the proper investigation of the case.
(2)
A violation of subsection (1) of this section is a class 2 misdemeanor offense.
(3)
It shall be an affirmative defense to a charge under subsection (1) of this section if the person:
(a)
Within seventy-two hours prior to disclosing the location of the protected person to the restrained person, verified that there was not a protection order relating to the protected person; and
(b)
Prior to disclosing the location of the protected person to the restrained person, obtained from the restrained person a signed affidavit verifying that the restrained person was not aware of any protection order related to the protected person.
(4)
As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:
(a)
"Protected person" means the person or persons identified in a protection order as the person or persons for whose benefit the protection order was issued.
(b)
"Protection order" means an order as described in section
18-6-803.5
(1.5)(a.5) that prohibits a restrained person from contacting a protected person.
(c)
"Restrained person" means the person identified in the protection order as the person prohibited from doing the specified act or acts.
Amended by 2021 Ch. 462, § 375, eff. 3/1/2022.
L. 2006: Entire section added, p. 1056, § 1, effective July 1. L. 2021: (2) amended, (SB 21-271), ch. 462, p. 3217, § 375, effective 3/1/2022.
Section 803(2) of chapter 462 (SB 21-271), Session Laws of Colorado 2021, provides that the act changing this section applies to offenses committed on or after March 1, 2022.
2021 Ch. 462, was passed without a safety clause. See Colo. Const. art. V, § 1(3).