In Michael Thomas Hupke v. The People of the State of Colorado, the Colorado Supreme Court reviewed C.R.S. Section 18-8-306, which criminalizes attempts to influence a public servant’s actions “by means of deceit.” The supreme court observed that the plain and ordinary meaning of the word “deceit” is broad and concluded that it encompasses the use of a third party to convey false information.
In affirming the judgment of the court of appeals, the supreme court held that a defendant violates section 18-8-306 when the defendant uses a third party to convey false information in an effort to influence a public servant’s actions and the false information actually reaches the public servant. Read the entire opinion here.