Charged with DUI or DWAI in Routt County? Get a real attorney on the phone, not a call center.
24/7 Direct Attorney Access ◆ 40+ Years of Combined Experience ◆ Licensed in FL, CO & IL
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Grande Law is a boutique criminal defense and personal injury law firm with offices in Miami, FL and Steamboat Springs, CO. Founded by managing partners Stacy Marczak-Grande and Danny Grande, they bring over 40 years of combined legal experience across criminal defense, family law, personal injury, civil litigation, and property damage claims.
What separates Grande Law from larger firms is straightforward: when you call, Stacy or Danny picks up. Not an AI, not an assistant, not a paralegal. That 24/7 direct attorney access is not a marketing line, it is how the firm operates every day.
Colorado draws a hard line based on blood alcohol content, and the difference between the two charges catches a lot of drivers off guard. A BAC of 0.08% or higher is a DUI, or driving under the influence. A BAC between 0.05% and 0.079% is a DWAI, driving while ability impaired. Drivers under 21 face a separate underage charge at just 0.02%.
A DWAI is not the “safe” version of a DUI. It is still a criminal conviction, it still adds points to your license, and it can still mean fines, probation, and mandatory alcohol education. In Colorado, neither a DUI nor a DWAI conviction can be sealed or expunged later, which means the outcome of your case follows you permanently.
Prosecutors sometimes offer a DWAI as a reduction from a DUI charge. Whether that is the right move, or whether the stronger play is fighting for a full dismissal, depends entirely on the facts of your stop, your test results, and how the evidence was gathered. That is why the charge on the ticket is only the starting point, not the whole picture.
A first arrest does not have to become a permanent record. We move quickly to review the stop, the testing, and every procedural detail that can lead to a reduced charge or full dismissal.
Repeat charges carry mandatory jail minimums and stricter probation terms in Colorado. We build a defense around every available angle, from prior conviction validity to sentencing alternatives that keep you working and with your family.
A fourth alcohol-related driving offense is charged as a felony in Colorado, exposing you to years in prison. We treat these cases with the same trial-ready preparation we bring to any serious criminal charge.
Colorado has no fixed THC limit, which means prosecutors must prove actual impairment rather than pointing to a number. We challenge drug recognition evidence and toxicology reports that are often far less reliable than they appear.
Drivers under 21 face a charge at just 0.02% BAC, a fraction of the adult threshold. A conviction at this stage can affect college plans, scholarships, and a young driver’s record for years, so we fight to keep the consequences from following them.
Steamboat draws visitors and seasonal residents from across the country, and a Colorado conviction can follow them home through the Driver License Compact. We handle the Colorado side of your case so you are not blindsided by consequences in your home state.
A DUI or DWAI conviction can end a commercial driver’s ability to work, which matters in a county built on trucking, ranching, and hospitality driving. We move fast to protect both your criminal record and your CDL.
Your license is on a separate clock from your criminal case, with its own short filing deadline. We handle the DMV hearing directly so you are not fighting two battles alone.
Call and talk it through with Stacy directly.
A DUI or DWAI arrest in Colorado sets two separate processes in motion at the same time, and both carry their own deadlines.
The first is your criminal case, heard in Routt County court, where a conviction can mean fines, probation, alcohol education, and in some cases jail. The second is a DMV administrative hearing that decides whether your license is suspended, entirely separate from whatever happens in the criminal case.
Colorado’s Express Consent law means that requesting a DMV hearing has a strict, short filing window after your arrest. Miss it, and your license is suspended automatically, regardless of how your criminal case turns out. We handle both tracks from day one so a deadline never costs you your driving privileges before your case has even had a chance to be heard.
Not every DUI defense firm is built for a mountain resort county, and the differences are not cosmetic.
Law enforcement along US-40, Rabbit Ears Pass, and the corridors into town increases patrols during ski season and summer festival weekends, when Steamboat’s population swells with visitors. Altitude, cold, wind, and uneven road surfaces all affect how a driver performs on field sobriety tests that were designed for flat, controlled conditions, which is a legitimate point of challenge in many Routt County stops.
A large share of the drivers arrested here are not local. Out-of-state visitors face the added complication of a Colorado conviction following them home under the Driver License Compact, often without realizing it until well after they have left the state. Stacy Marczak-Grande practices regularly in Routt County courts and knows the judges, the prosecutors, and the fact patterns that come up again and again in a tourist and ski community, an advantage a firm based hours away simply does not have.
When you call Grande Law, Danny or Stacy answers personally, day or night. There is no answering service or AI screening your call before a real attorney hears what happened.
Stacy Marczak-Grande and Danny Grande bring over four decades of combined legal experience to every case. That depth means they have seen the tactics prosecutors and DMV hearing officers use, and they know where a case is likely to be won.
Grande Law has represented more than 5,000 clients and recovered over $50 million for them over the last decade. That record reflects a firm built to prepare every case as if it is going to trial.
Grande Law is licensed in Florida, Colorado, and Illinois, including federal courts. If your situation involves an out-of-state license or crosses state lines, you do not need to find a second attorney.
You are not handed off to a rotating cast of paralegals here. Your case stays with Danny or Stacy from the first call through resolution.
A three-year Routt County Humane Society sponsor and five-year STARS jacket sponsor. Grande Law is invested in the people and organizations that make Steamboat Springs home.
Every DUI and DWAI case is different. These results reflect the level of preparation and advocacy Grande Law brings to every matter.
Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Each case is unique and evaluated on its own facts and circumstances.
[Outcome: dismissed, reduced, or negotiated result]
[Outcome: license retained or revocation overturned]
[Outcome: dismissed, reduced, or negotiated result]
What you do in the hours after a DUI or DWAI arrest can shape the rest of your case. Contact an attorney immediately, since the DMV hearing deadline starts running right away. Write down everything you remember about the stop while it is fresh, avoid discussing your case or posting about it on social media, attend every court date without exception, and follow any conditions of your release exactly as given. From there, here is how Grande Law takes over.
Talk directly with Stacy about your arrest, the charges, and any deadlines already running, especially the DMV hearing window. We give you an honest read on where your case stands before you decide anything.
We examine the traffic stop, the administration of any field sobriety tests, and the breath or blood testing procedure for weaknesses. This is where most winnable cases are actually won.
We file your hearing request and represent you at the DMV hearing, fighting to keep your license on a track that is separate from your criminal case.
Depending on what the investigation turns up, we pursue suppression motions, a charge reduction, or plea negotiation. We never recommend pleading guilty at arraignment without first understanding what your case is actually worth.
If a fair outcome is not on the table, we take your case to trial. If it is, we finalize the resolution and make sure you understand exactly what it means for your record and your license.
“If you’re searching for an experienced DUI lawyer in Steamboat Springs who understands Colorado DUI charges, license consequences, and local court procedures, Grande Law is the firm you want representing you. They don’t just process cases, they defend their clients and protect their futures. I’m incredibly grateful for their expertise and the outcome they achieved.”
“Grande Law is very professional and trustworthy to my needs and feelings during my time of troubles. Stacy was very knowledgeable about what she was doing and guiding me to victory. Thanks a million.”
“If you’re looking for someone who will get the job done right, you’ve come to the right place. Stacy’s professionalism and reliability made the entire process smooth and stress-free. Look no further, Grande Law is truly the best!”
Answers to the most common questions we hear from clients facing a DUI or DWAI charge in Steamboat Springs.
A first DUI conviction can mean up to a year in jail, fines between $600 and $1,000, a nine month license suspension, and mandatory alcohol education. A first DWAI carries a lower range but still includes possible jail time, fines up to $500, and license points. Penalties increase substantially with a second or third offense, including mandatory minimum jail time, and a fourth alcohol related offense is charged as a felony.
Refusing a chemical test under Colorado’s Express Consent law triggers an automatic license revocation, starting at one year for a first refusal and increasing for later refusals. Your refusal can also be used as evidence against you in the criminal case. Refusing is not a guaranteed way to avoid consequences, and the better question is often whether the stop itself was lawful in the first place.
Yes. Breath testing machines require regular calibration and maintenance, and results can be affected by mouth alcohol, improper administration, or a rising BAC that was still climbing at the time of the test. Blood draws depend on proper chain of custody and storage, and errors at any step can be challenged.
DUID means driving under the influence of drugs, including marijuana and prescription medication. Colorado has no fixed per se limit for THC, which means prosecutors must prove actual impairment rather than relying on a blood test number alone.
Likely yes. Colorado participates in the Driver License Compact, which shares conviction information with most other states. A Colorado DUI or DWAI conviction can trigger a suspension or other consequences under your home state’s own laws, which is why fighting the Colorado case matters even if you do not live here.
In many cases, yes, after serving a portion of the suspension period. An interlock-restricted license allows you to drive with an ignition interlock device installed, requiring an alcohol-free breath sample before the car will start. We can walk you through eligibility and the application process.
Yes. A DUI or DWAI conviction is a criminal offense that appears on background checks, and Colorado does not allow DUI or DWAI convictions to be sealed or expunged. For medical professionals, commercial drivers, and other licensed occupations, a conviction can also trigger a separate review by the relevant licensing board.
Often, yes. SR-22 is not insurance itself but a certificate showing your insurer that you carry the state’s minimum required coverage. It is commonly required after a DUI or DWAI conviction, even a first offense, and comes with an added filing fee on top of higher premiums.
We strongly recommend against it without speaking to an attorney first. Pleading guilty immediately forecloses the possibility of a negotiated plea to a lesser charge or a full dismissal, and sentencing tends to be harsher for an immediate guilty plea than for a negotiated outcome. Once entered, that plea is very difficult to undo.
Yes, field sobriety tests are voluntary in Colorado, unlike the chemical breath or blood test after an arrest. Refusing a field sobriety test does not carry the same automatic license consequences as refusing the chemical test, though an officer may still rely on other observations to support an arrest.
Talk to Stacy directly today about your Steamboat Springs DUI or DWAI charge.
Reach out today, Stacy or Danny will be in touch directly.
Your information stays confidential.
Grande Law’s Steamboat Springs office serves DUI and DWAI clients throughout Routt County and across Colorado. Stacy Marczak-Grande practices in these courts regularly and is available around the clock.
941 Lincoln Ave Suite 200-E1-F, Steamboat Springs, CO 80487
Open 24 Hours, 7 Days a Week
Stacy is locally rooted in the Steamboat Springs community and knows these courts.