Colorado Code § 18-9-312

Hostage, endangered person, or armed person in geographical area - telephone, electronic, cellular, or digital communications
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(1) (a) Notwithstanding the
provisions of sections 18-9-302 to 18-9-311, any supervising representative of a law
enforcement agency shall have the authority to order a previously designated security employee
of a communications or internet access provider to arrange, to the extent the necessary
technology is reasonably available to the provider, to cut, reroute, or divert telephone lines or
cellular or digital communications signals if the supervising representative has probable cause to
believe that:
(I) A person has taken one or more other persons hostage and is holding the hostages in
the geographical area in which the supervising representative has jurisdiction; or
(II) A person has barricaded himself or herself in a structure or a motor vehicle within
the geographical area in which the supervising representative has jurisdiction and the supervising
representative has a reasonable belief that the person is armed with a deadly weapon or explosive
device and poses a danger to himself or herself or others.
(b) The supervising representative of a law enforcement agency may order the cutting,
rerouting, or diverting of telephone lines or cellular or digital communications signals pursuant
to paragraph (a) of this subsection (1) only for the purpose of preventing telephone or other
electronic, cellular, or digital communication by the hostage holder or the armed person with any
person other than a peace officer or a person authorized by the peace officer. The
communications or internet access provider shall restore the normal operations of the telephone
lines or cellular or digital communications signals as soon as practicable following resolution of
the exigent circumstances.
(1.5) (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of sections 18-9-302 to 18-9-311, any
supervising representative of a law enforcement agency may order a previously designated
security employee of a wireless telecommunications provider to provide to the law enforcement
agency, without requiring the agency to obtain a court order, location information concerning the
telecommunications device of a named person if the supervising representative has probable
cause to believe that:
(I) An emergency situation exists that involves the risk of death or serious bodily injury
to the named person or to another person who is in the named person's company; and
(II) The time required to obtain a search warrant or other court order authorizing the
acquisition of the information would increase such risk.
(b) A wireless telecommunications provider may establish protocols by which the
provider discloses location information, provided that such protocols shall include keeping a
record of:
(I) The name of the supervising representative of a law enforcement agency that
requested the location information; and
(II) The time and date when the request was made.
(c) With regard to compliance with the requirements of this subsection (1.5), no cause of
action may be brought against any wireless telecommunications provider, its officers,
employees, agents, or other specified persons for providing location information in response to a
request from a law enforcement agent with actual or apparent authority to act as a supervising
representative under this subsection (1.5).
(d) A law enforcement agency that acquires information pursuant to this subsection (1.5)
shall not divulge the acquired information to any person other than to another law enforcement
agency, or an employee thereof, unless the law enforcement agency has obtained a court order
stating that the information was lawfully obtained and authorizing the law enforcement agency
to retain the information, as described in subparagraph (I) of paragraph (d) of this subsection
(1.5).
(e) (I) Not more than forty-eight hours after ordering a previously designated security
employee of a wireless telecommunications provider to provide information as described in
paragraph (a) of this subsection (1.5), a law enforcement agency shall request a court order
stating whether:
(A) At the time that the supervising representative of a law enforcement agency ordered
the previously designated security employee of a wireless telecommunications provider to
provide the information, the supervising representative had probable cause to believe that the
conditions described in paragraph (a) of this subsection (1.5) existed; and
(B) The law enforcement agency may retain the information for a bona fide investigative
purpose.
(II) Unless a court orders that the law enforcement agency may retain the information for
a bona fide investigative purpose, as described in sub-subparagraph (B) of subparagraph (I) of
this paragraph (e), the law enforcement agency shall destroy the information and not retain any
copy of the information for any purpose.
(III) If the court issues an order stating that the supervising representative of the law
enforcement agency did not have probable cause to believe that the conditions described in
paragraph (a) of this subsection (1.5) existed and that the information was not lawfully obtained,
then neither the information nor any other evidence that is obtained as a result of the law
enforcement agency's acquisition of the information may be admitted in any subsequent criminal
proceeding unless the information or other evidence was also acquired independently in a lawful
manner.
(IV) Any ruling by a court that the information obtained may be retained for a bona fide
investigative purpose shall not be considered a ruling on the admissibility of the evidence in any
criminal proceeding under the constitutional and statutory provisions of the United States or
Colorado.
(2) The serving communications or internet access provider within the geographical area
of a law enforcement agency shall designate a security official employed by the provider and an
alternate to provide all required assistance to law enforcement officials to carry out the purposes
of this section.
(3) Good faith reliance on an order by any supervising representative of a law
enforcement agency shall constitute a complete defense to any action brought against a
communications or internet access provider or any of its employees or agents in connection with
actions taken under this section. A communications or internet access provider and its employees
or agents shall not be liable in any civil action to any person or entity for injuries, death, or loss
to any person or property incurred as a result of any act or omission resulting from, connected
with, or incidental to compliance with this section.

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