Table of Contents

Table of Contents 1
The Argument For Variance As Between The Charges And The Evidence 2
Variance Can Stop A DA In His?Her Tracks — How? – Double Jeopardy 2
What is the Doctrine of Variance? 2
Colorado Criminal Variance Law 2
There are two types of variances: 2
Lesser Included Offenses – The First Issue For The Colorado Criminal Defense Lawyer 2
Comparing The Crime Charged To The Evidence Produced At Trial 3
What Is The Remedy For A Violation Of The Variance Principle? 3
The Remedy 3
One Bite Of The Apple 3
Conclusion And Review of Variance vs. Insufficiency of the Evidence 3

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Law firm we are keenly aware that ANY
c o nvic tio n fo r a c riminal o ffens e c an have a
lo ng term highly des truc tive impac t o n yo ur
life and yo ur plans fo r yo ur life. We kno w
that o therwis e law-abiding and res pec ted
lives c an be c hanged fo rever.

Many o f tho s e we repres ent at o ur firm are

yo ung peo ple - s tudents , yo ung
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The Argument For Variance As Between The Charges And The
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Variance Can St op A DA In His?Her Tracks — How? – Double Jeopardy
Introduction – This web page helps to explain the legal concept of variance – and why it is
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a critical weapon in the arsenal of the Colorado criminal defense attorney. What if the DA
EMAIL proves the wrong crime – or fails to prove the crime charged?

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What is t he Doct rine of Variance?

Colorado Criminal Variance Law

A varianc e o c c urs when the c harge c o ntained in the c harging ins trument differs fro m the c harge
o f whic h a defendant is c o nvic ted.

Attach File [PDF, WPD, DOC, DOCX] (optional) There are t wo t ypes of variances:
Cho o se File (1) simple variance, whic h ” o c c urs when the c harging terms are unc hanged, but the evidenc e
No file selected
at trial pro ves fac ts materially different fro m tho s e alleged” in the c harging ins trument;

and

(2) co nst ruct ive amendment , whic h c hanges an es s ential element o f the c harged o ffens e and
thereby alters the s ubs tanc e o f the c harging ins trument.

Unlike s imple varianc es , c o ns truc tive amendments effec tively s ubjec t a defendant to the ris k o f
c o nvic tio n fo r an o ffens e that was no t o riginally c harged in the c harging ins trument.

Co ns equently, c o ns truc tive amendments are per se revers ible erro r, whereas s imple varianc es
are no t revers ible unless they prejudice a defendant’s substantive rights.

Lesser Included Of f enses – The First Issue For The Colorado Criminal
Def ense Lawyer
The ques tio n here, then, is whether there is a es s er inc luded o ffens e;

(1) t o t he o ne t hat was charged but no t pro ved

(2) f o r which suf f icient evidence exist s t o sust ain t he co nvict io n.

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Colorado Criminal Law – Child Abuse Laws 18-
6-401
Colorado Criminal Law – Burglary
Colorado Criminal Law – Arson
Colorado Criminal Law – Assault
Colorado Criminal Law – Computer Related
Crime 18-5.5-103
Colorado Criminal Law – Criminal
Impersonation
Colorado Criminal Law – Criminal Mischief
Colorado Criminal Law – Criminally Negligent
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Colorado Criminal Law – Domestic Violence
Colorado Criminal Law – False Imprisonment
Colorado Criminal Law – Forgery
Colorado Criminal Law – Indecent Exposure
Colorado Criminal Law – Internet Sexual
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Colorado Criminal Law – Manslaughter
Colorado Criminal Law – Menacing
Colorado Criminal Law – Murder
Colorado Criminal Law – Perjury
Colorado Criminal Law – Robbery
Colorado Criminal Law – Sexual Assault
Colorado Criminal Law – Sexual Assault on a
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Colorado Criminal Law – Sexual Exploitation of
a Child
Colorado Criminal Law – Harassment/Stalking
Colorado Criminal Law – Theft
Colorado Criminal Law – Trespass
Colorado Criminal Law – Vehicular Assault
Colorado Criminal Law – Vehicular Homicide
Colorado Criminal Law – Criminal Tampering
Colorado Criminal Law – Disorderly Conduct
Colorado Criminal Law – Obstructing a Peace
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Colorado Criminal Law – Third Degree Assault
Colorado Criminal Law – Possession of Drug
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Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol or Drugs
(DUI/DUID)/Driving While Ability Impaired
(DWAI)
Colorado Criminal Law – Driver’s License
Hearings
Colorado Criminal Law – Traffic Infractions
Comparing The Crime Charged To The Evidence Produced At Trial
In Co lo rado , a ” st at ut o ry element s” tes t is us ed to determine whether an o ffens e s tands in a
les s er inc luded relatio ns hip to ano ther o ffens e.
Under that tes t, ” if pro o f o f the fac ts es tablis hing the s tatuto ry elements o f the greater o ffens e
nec es s arily es tablis hes all o f the elements o f the les s er o ffens e, the les s er o ffens e is inc luded….
If, ho wever, eac h o ffens e nec es s arily ‘ requires pro o f o f at leas t o ne additio nal fac t whic h the
o ther do es no t,’ the s tric t elements tes t is no t s atis fied,” and the o ffens es do no t s tand in a
greater-les s er inc luded relatio ns hip to o ne ano ther.
What Is The Remedy For A Violat ion Of The Variance Principle?
T he Remedy
When the pro s ec utio n fails to pres ent pro o f o f the o ffens e c harged, do uble jeo pardy prevents the
pro s ec utio n fro m availing its elf o f a s ec o nd o ppo rtunity to try the ac c us ed o n that c harge.
Do uble jeo pardy ” pro tec ts agains t a s ec o nd pro s ec utio n fo r the s ame o ffens e after ac quittal.
If the evidence is insufficient to support the conviction, the retrial of the defendant on the
same charge would constitute a violation of the constitutional guarantee against double
jeopardy.
If a conviction is reversed on appeal because of an insufficiency of the evidence, no retrial
may occur.
One Bit e Of The Apple
Where, ho wever, there is ins uffic ient evidenc e to s us tain a c o nvic tio n fo r a partic ular o ffens e, but
the evidenc e is s uffic ient to upho ld a c o nvic tio n o n a les s er inc luded o ffens e, the appro priate
remedy is to remand the c as e to the trial c o urt with direc tio ns to enter judgment and s entenc e o n
the les s er inc luded o ffens e.
Conclusion And Review of Variance vs. Insuf f iciency of t he Evidence
A varianc e is a procedural discrepancy between the pleadings and the proof.
This dis c repanc y c an be o f two types , a f ailure o f pro o f o r a variance. A failure o f pro o f
typic ally aris es in the fo llo wing s ituatio ns :
(1) An allegat io n o f o ne crime and pro o f o f ano t her., a charge o f
larceny and pro o f o f embez z lement ;
or
(2) An allegat io n o f o ne degree o f a st at ut o ry crime and pro o f o f
ano t her degree o f t hat crime. a charge o f f irst degree burglary o f
a dwelling ho use and pro o f o f burglary o f a wareho use;
(3) A f ailure t o pro ve an essent ial element o f t he crime alleged-
e.g., a charge o f rape but no pro o f o f penet rat io n, o r a charge o f
burglary but no pro o f o f a breaking and ent ry.
On the o ther hand a varianc e typic ally aris es when the s tate, in attempting to pro ve the c rime
alleged, pro ves a fac t whic h varies in s o me degree fro m the s tatement o f fac t in the allegatio n-
e.g., a c harge o f larc eny fro m Jo hn Do e and pro o f o f larc eny fro m Ric hard Ro e, o r a c harge o f
as s ault and battery with a s to ne and pro o f o f as s ault and battery with a s tic k.
Tec hnic ally the latter s ituatio n is the o nly o ne whic h is a varianc e. In o ther wo rds , a varianc e c an
o nly aris e where there has been a dis c repanc y between the c harge o f a partic ular s tatuto ry c rime
and the pro o f o f that s ame c rime as to a fac t des c riptive o f the o ffens e.
The firs t three s ituatio ns are pro perly termed a failure o f pro o f, o r what c o uld be termed a “to tal”
failure o f pro o f. In s ituatio ns 1 and 2 there is pro o f o f a different s tatuto ry c rime, o r degree o f
c rime, than was averred in the ac c us ato ry pleading. A c o nvic tio n in either c as e wo uld be gro unds
fo r revers al.
Likewis e, s ituatio n 3 is a failure o f pro o f, but here there is a failure to pro ve any c rime whatever.
A c o nvic tio n in s uc h a c as e would not be sustained by sufficient evidence and wo uld be
c o ntrary to law.
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T he C o lo r a d o C r imina l De fe ns e La w Fir m o f H. Mic ha e l S te inb e r g
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