Colorado § 10-15-119 - Immunity from prosecution.

§ 10-15-119. Immunity from prosecution.

(1) If any person asks to be excused from attending and testifying or from producing any books, papers, records, correspondence, or other documents at any hearing on the ground that the testimony or evidence required of the person may tend to incriminate the person or subject the person to a penalty or forfeiture, and, notwithstanding such request, the commissioner directs such person to give such testimony or produce such evidence, such person shall nonetheless comply with such direction but the person shall not thereafter be prosecuted or subjected to any penalty or forfeiture for or on account of any transaction, matter, or thing concerning which the person testifies or produces evidence pursuant thereto; and no testimony so given or evidence so produced shall be received against such person upon any criminal action, investigation, or proceeding. However, no person who has filed a waiver pursuant to subsection (3) of this section shall be immune from prosecution on account of testimony given or evidence produced.

(2) No person so testifying shall be exempt from prosecution or punishment for any perjury in the first degree committed by the person while so testifying, and the testimony or evidence so given or produced shall be admissible against the person upon any criminal action, investigation, or proceeding concerning such perjury; nor shall the person be exempt from the refusal, revocation, or suspension of any license, permission, or authority conferred, or to be conferred, pursuant to the laws of this state.

(3) Any person may execute, acknowledge, and file in the office of the commissioner a statement expressly waiving his or her immunity or privilege with respect to any transaction, matter, or thing specified in such statement, and thereupon the testimony of such person or such evidence in relation to such transaction, matter, or thing may be received or produced before any judge or justice, court, tribunal, grand jury, or other authority, and if it is so received or produced, such individual shall not be entitled to any immunity or privilege on account of such testimony so given or evidence so produced. A waiver executed pursuant to this subsection (3) shall be valid only if it is:

(a) Entered into voluntarily;

(b) Executed by a person with the intellectual capacity to understand the consequences of executing such a waiver;

(c) Not executed under threat, coercion, or duress; and

(d) (I) Entered into knowingly.

(II) For purposes of this paragraph (d), a waiver is entered into knowingly when the person executing such waiver has been informed of his or her right to confer with independent legal counsel.

Source: L. 95: Entire article R&RE, p. 1045, § 1, effective May 25.

Editor's note: This section is similar to former § 10-15-119 as it existed prior to 1995.

Cross references: For perjury in the first degree, see § 18-8-502.