Two Roberts’ crime bills signed into law

Colorado House Democrats on Thursday issued the following press release on two bills sponsored by state Rep. Dylan Roberts, D-Avon, a former prosecutor in Eagle County, that have been signed into law by Colorado Gov. Jared Polis:

DENVER, CO – Two bills sponsored by Representative Dylan Roberts were signed into law today that will prevent crime by making it harder to resell stolen goods and by providing law enforcement with additional tools to prosecute the crime of witness intimidation.

“These new laws focus on giving law enforcement effective tools to prevent crime, and I’m proud Governor Polis has signed them into law,” said Rep. Dylan Roberts, D-Avon. “With these laws, law enforcement will have new abilities to hold people accountable for intimidating a witness or pressuring someone to withhold critical information from law enforcement. And with HB1099, we are cracking down on retail theft and protecting business and consumers by making it harder for thieves to resell stolen goods online.” 

SB22-024, sponsored by Representatives Roberts and Matt Soper, will prevent witness intimidation and help investigators solve crimes by expanding the ways that witness intimidation may be committed. Under the law, witness intimidation would include a threat or act that is directed at a person that the perpetrator believes may have relevant information or may be able to exert influence upon a witness or a victim. It also allows prosecutors to charge the crime of intimidating a witness if the perpetrator attempts to persuade a witness to withhold information. 

HB22-1099, sponsored by Representatives Roberts and Terri Carver, requires online marketplaces to verify the bank account information, tax identification number, and contact information from high-volume third-party sellers. This law also requires sellers to disclose personal contact information to buyers, such as their name and address to assist in the authentication process for purchasing goods online.