Standard Legal Advice Is Not Enough for Your Situation
If you live in Highlands Ranch, Lone Tree, Ken Caryl, Castle Pines, or Cherry Hills Village, you know “standard” legal advice will not protect what you have built. A DUI, a domestic violence allegation, or a felony charge is a direct threat to your career. That is true whether you are a corporate executive, a licensed physician, a federal contractor, or an engineer with a security clearance.
Cases in this part of the state are filed in the 18th Judicial District (Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert, and Lincoln Counties) or the 1st Judicial District (Jefferson and Gilpin Counties). The prosecution is rigorous. The stakes are absolute. You need a defense that understands the courtroom — and the regulatory boardrooms where your future will actually be decided.
Engineered for LicensureCriminal Defense Designed to Protect Your License
For most professional clients, the courtroom is only half the battle. This firm does not represent clients in board-level hearings. But the criminal results are designed to keep those boards from ever having a reason to act.
The strategy focuses on dismissals, suppressed evidence, deferred judgments, and carefully negotiated outcomes. The goal is to avoid the specific “trigger” convictions your licensing body would have to act on. When the case is over, your professional standing should remain intact.
Professionals Daniel Has Defended on the Criminal Side
- Healthcare Professionals (RN, LPN, MD, DO, PA, NP, Pharmacist): Protecting the criminal record to avoid mandatory DORA reporting triggers, mandatory drug-and-alcohol monitoring referrals, Health Professions Program (HPP) referral, and Nurse Practice Act consequences.
- Aviation Professionals (FAA-certificated Pilots, Air Traffic Controllers, Mechanics): Securing outcomes designed to prevent the automatic 60-day FAA notification cascade under 14 C.F.R. § 61.15 and to protect the airman certificate from suspension or revocation.
- Gaming-Industry Employees & Executives: Defending the criminal background-check eligibility required by the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission and Division of Gaming key-employee/support license rules.
- Teachers & Education Administrators: Defending against the convictions enumerated in C.R.S. § 22-60.5-110 that trigger automatic license revocation by the Colorado Department of Education.
- Law Enforcement, Corrections & Military: Protecting POST certification eligibility, civilian-side career standing, and security-clearance reportability.
- Federal Contractors & Aerospace/Defense Sector Engineers: Working to keep the criminal disposition out of the categories that drive adverse-information reporting under Security Executive Agent Directive 3 (SEAD-3) to a facility security officer.
- CPAs, Attorneys, Architects & Other Professional Engineers: Avoiding the moral-character and crime-of-dishonesty findings that trigger discipline at the Colorado Board of Accountancy, the Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel, and DORA-housed engineering boards.
Daniel handles only the criminal case. Reporting obligations, board responses, and administrative defense remain your responsibility or that of separate licensure counsel — but the criminal outcome is the foundation everything else is built on.
Why Professionals Choose This FirmWhy Executives Across South Metro Denver Trust Daniel H. Kyser
1. Peer-to-Peer Advocacy
You are a professional, and you expect to be represented by one. You will never be handed off to a junior associate or a paralegal. As a graduate of Colorado State University and the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, Daniel personally handles every strategy session, motion, hearing, and trial in your case.
2. Tactical Discretion
In high-income communities like Castle Pines, Columbine Valley, Cherry Hills Village, and the Backcountry at Highlands Ranch, privacy is paramount. Every available tool — early intervention before charges file, Fourth Amendment suppression motions, deferred prosecution, and sealed dispositions — is used to resolve your case as quietly as possible.
3. Jurisdictional Authority
From the Robert A. Christensen Justice Center in Castle Rock to the Arapahoe County Courthouse in Centennial, the Jefferson County Courthouse in Golden, and the Lindsey-Flanigan Courthouse in Denver, Daniel knows how the local district attorney’s offices and judges operate — and how to find the procedural errors that lead to suppression and dismissal.
4. Trial-Tested for Nearly Two Decades
For nineteen-plus years, Daniel has tried cases other firms would have pleaded out. That courtroom credibility is what gives a confidential, behind-the-scenes negotiation real leverage — prosecutors know which defense attorneys actually pick juries.
Standard Plea vs Professional-Tailored Resolution
The same set of facts can produce two very different outcomes for a licensed professional, depending on how the criminal case is handled at the front end:
| Factor | Standard Plea | Professional-Tailored Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| Conviction entered | Original charge accepted | Negotiated to non-trigger statute (e.g., DWAI vs DUI; reckless driving vs alcohol offense) |
| DORA reporting trigger | Likely triggered; mandatory referral or monitoring | Often avoided through dismissal, deferred judgment, or non-trigger plea |
| FAA notification under 14 C.F.R. § 61.15 | Required within 60 days; certificate at risk | Avoided entirely if the alcohol-related conviction is reduced or dismissed |
| SEAD-3 adjudicative weight | Guideline G or E findings likely | Mitigated by disposition that reduces or removes the triggering conduct |
| Lautenberg firearm prohibition (DV) | Permanent federal firearm bar under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9) | Avoided by removing the DV designation or securing dismissal |
| Long-term sealability | Conviction record permanent in most cases | Dismissals and qualifying deferreds may be sealed under Colorado law |
This comparison is illustrative only. The outcome of any individual case depends on the facts, evidence, prior record, jurisdiction, and applicable law.
Client TestimonialWhat Clients Say
Dan did an amazing job helping me through my case. He understood my position and fought for me. I was very pleased with the final result. Highly recommend.— J.W. · Douglas County
The testimonial above reflects one client’s individual experience. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes; every case is unique and depends on its own facts and applicable law.
Most-Asked QuestionsQuestions Professionals Ask Before Hiring Counsel
Will my employer be notified if I’m charged with a crime in Colorado?
Colorado courts do not notify employers directly. But charges become public record once filed. And many employment contracts, professional codes of conduct, and security-clearance agreements include strict self-reporting deadlines. The first 24 hours after an arrest are the right time to map out your reporting duties — and to shape the criminal case so any disclosure carries the lowest possible weight.
I have a Top Secret/SCI clearance. How serious is a misdemeanor charge?
It can be very serious. Under Security Executive Agent Directive 3 (SEAD-3), cleared personnel must self-report arrests, charges, and convictions to their facility security officer. Even a misdemeanor can drive an unfavorable adjudication under Guideline G (Alcohol) or Guideline E (Personal Conduct). The single most important step to keep a clearance is to defend the criminal case so it avoids an alcohol-related conviction or a finding of dishonesty.
I’m a nurse in Highlands Ranch. Will a DUI conviction trigger DORA action against my license?
It can. The Colorado Board of Nursing and the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) treat alcohol-related convictions as possible signs of impaired practice. A DUI conviction may trigger an inquiry, mandatory monitoring, or a referral to the Health Professions Program (HPP). The criminal strategy — a DWAI reduction, deferred judgment, or dismissal — directly shapes what is reportable and what discipline you face.
I’m an FAA-certificated pilot. What happens to my certificate if I’m convicted?
14 C.F.R. § 61.15 requires written notice to the FAA Civil Aviation Security Division within 60 days of any motor-vehicle action involving alcohol or drugs. Convictions can lead to certificate suspension or revocation. A second offense within three years is grounds for denial. The criminal outcome you negotiate decides whether the FAA filing is a routine notice or a career-ending event.
I work in the gaming industry. Will a charge affect my support license?
The Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission requires support and key-employee licensees to remain of “good moral character,” and certain convictions are categorical bars. The Division of Gaming reviews criminal history at renewal and on tip. Resolving the criminal case in a way that avoids a triggering conviction is essential to keeping a license and remaining eligible for gaming-industry employment.
Can a DUI or domestic violence charge be sealed in Colorado?
Most DUI/DWAI convictions are not eligible for sealing. Domestic-violence-flagged convictions face significant sealing restrictions. Dismissed cases, not-guilty verdicts, and certain deferred judgments are sealable — which is why the criminal disposition fought for at the front end determines what the record looks like five years from now.
I live in Castle Pines but work downtown. Can the case be heard somewhere more discreet?
Venue follows where the alleged offense occurred, not where the defendant lives or works. A charge filed in Douglas County will be heard at the Robert A. Christensen Justice Center in Castle Rock; a Jefferson County charge proceeds in Golden. Discretion comes from how the case is handled — early disposition, motions practice, and resolution short of public trial — not from changing the courthouse.
Do I have to disclose an arrest on my professional renewal application?
Most Colorado professional renewal forms ask about arrests, charges, convictions, or pending matters — and the wording varies by board. Misreporting (or omitting) is often more dangerous to the license than the underlying conduct. Read the renewal language carefully, then build the criminal-case strategy around the disclosure question that will eventually have to be answered truthfully.
Glossary of Acronyms & Statutes
- DORA
- Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies — the umbrella agency housing the licensing boards for nurses, physicians, accountants, engineers, real-estate professionals, and most other Colorado-licensed occupations.
- SEAD-3
- Security Executive Agent Directive 3 (issued by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence) — the federal directive requiring cleared personnel to self-report arrests, charges, convictions, financial events, and other adjudicative-relevant conduct to their facility security officer.
- HPP
- Health Professions Program — Colorado’s confidential alternative-to-discipline monitoring program for licensed clinicians dealing with substance-use, mental-health, or competency concerns.
- POST
- Colorado Peace Officer Standards and Training — the certifying authority for state and local law-enforcement officers; certain convictions trigger mandatory decertification.
- 14 C.F.R. § 61.15
- FAA regulation requiring FAA-certificated pilots to provide written notification to the FAA Civil Aviation Security Division within 60 days of any motor-vehicle action involving alcohol or drugs.
- Lautenberg Amendment
- 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9) — federal law permanently prohibiting firearm possession by anyone convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
- C.R.S. § 22-60.5-110
- Colorado statute enumerating the convictions that trigger automatic teaching-license revocation by the Colorado Department of Education.
- C.R.S. § 18-6-800.3
- Colorado statute defining “domestic violence” as a sentence enhancer applied to crimes committed against an intimate partner; triggers mandatory arrest and 36-week treatment.
- Express-Consent Hearing
- Colorado civil DMV proceeding (separate from the criminal case) that determines license revocation after an alcohol-related driving offense or chemical-test refusal. Must be requested within seven (7) days of the Notice of Revocation.
- Deferred Judgment
- Colorado disposition under C.R.S. § 18-1.3-102 in which a guilty plea is entered but judgment is postponed; on successful completion of probation, the case is dismissed and may become eligible for sealing.
Authoritative External References
Statutes, regulations, and government bodies cited on this page:
- Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) — licensing boards for nurses, physicians, accountants, engineers, and most professional occupations
- Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) — pilot certification, 14 C.F.R. § 61.15 alcohol/drug reporting
- Electronic Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR) — full text of 14 C.F.R. Part 61
- Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) — SEAD-3 and security clearance adjudicative guidelines
- Colorado General Assembly — Colorado Revised Statutes (C.R.S.) Title 18 (criminal code), Title 22 (education), Title 42 (motor vehicles)
- Colorado Department of Education (CDE) — educator licensure under C.R.S. § 22-60.5-110
- Cornell Legal Information Institute — 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(9) — Lautenberg Amendment firearm prohibition
- Colorado Judicial Branch — 18th and 1st Judicial Districts
A Standard Plea Is Rarely a Win for a Professional
For a corporate executive, a licensed clinician, a cleared engineer, or a Part 121 first officer, a “routine” plea is not a routine outcome. It is a life-altering event. When everything is on the line, you need an attorney with nearly two decades of trial wins — not someone who plans to plead the case at the first appearance.