Postconviction review - motion
C.R.S. § 16-12-206
in effect16-12-206. Postconviction review - motion. (1) (a) In any case in which a defendant has been convicted of a class 1 felony and been sentenced to death, all motions for postconviction review and all postconviction review proceedings are governed by this part 2 and by the supreme court rules adopted to implement this part 2.
(b) Any motion for postconviction review shall state with particularity the grounds upon which the defendant intends to rely, including a statement of the facts and citations of law. A motion for postconviction review may include only those issues specified in paragraph (c) of this subsection (1) and shall not include any issues that were raised at the entry of any guilty plea, before trial, at trial, at the penalty phase hearing, or in the motion for new trial.
(c) A motion for postconviction review may raise only the following issues:
(I) Whether there exists evidence of material facts, not previously presented and heard, which by the exercise of reasonable diligence could not have been known or learned by the defendant or trial counsel prior to the imposition of the sentence and which require that the conviction or the death sentence be vacated in the interests of justice; or
(II) Whether the conviction was obtained or the sentence was imposed in violation of the constitution or laws of the United States or Colorado; or
(III) Whether the defendant was convicted under a statute that violates the constitution of the United States or Colorado or whether the conduct for which the defendant was prosecuted was constitutionally protected; or
(IV) Whether the judgment was rendered without jurisdiction over the defendant or the subject matter; or
(V) Any other grounds that are properly the basis for collateral attack upon a criminal judgment; or
(VI) Whether trial counsel rendered ineffective assistance.
(2) By alleging that trial counsel rendered ineffective assistance, the defendant automatically waives confidentiality pursuant to the provisions of section 18-1-417, C.R.S., between the defendant and trial counsel but only with respect to the information that is related to the defendant's claim of ineffective assistance.
(3) Neither the defendant nor the prosecution may file a motion for reconsideration or rehearing of the trial court's ruling on the motion for postconviction review. The granting or denying of a motion for postconviction review under this section is a final order reviewable on appeal by the Colorado supreme court.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-16.docx#16-12-206Fetched: 10/6/2026