Committee advances bill to make theft of any firearm a felony after amendment; debate centers on deterrence and juvenile diversion

At a House Judiciary Committee hearing, members advanced House Bill 10-62 after adopting an amendment that makes the theft of any firearm a Class 6 felony and removes the dollar-value thresholds that currently determine whether a firearm theft is charged as a petty offense, misdemeanor or felony. The committee voted to send the bill to the Appropriations Committee, 6-5.

Supporters of the measure — including elected district attorneys and multiple police chiefs — argued that stolen firearms are a direct feed into violent crime and that making any firearm theft a felony will increase law-enforcement priority and help prevent future shootings. Michael Doherty, district attorney for the 20th Judicial District (Boulder County), said, “Stolen guns, unlike other items that are stolen, stolen guns are never used for an innocent purpose.” John Walsh, district attorney for Denver, told the committee: “The theft of any firearm, regardless of its dollar value, presents a serious risk of future violence to the community.”

The amendment adopted by the committee (labeled L2 during the hearing) narrows the bill to a single offense level: theft of any firearm is a Class 6 felony. Sponsors described the amendment as a response to stakeholder concern about duplicative or stacked charges; Representative Armagost, the bill sponsor, said the amendment “eliminates that” confusion and urged members to vote yes.

Proponents described several practical effects they expect from the change. Travis Sides, district attorney for the 13th…