Timothy R Bussey
•Attended University of Iowa on Air Force ROTC scholarship.
•Commissioned as Second Lieutenant on May 14, 1988.
•Graduated from IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law.
•Entered USAF as Judge Advocate on Active Duty in 1991.
•Transferred to ADC at Peterson Air Force Base in 1994.
•Entered Office of the District Attorney, Fourth Judicial District as Deputy District Attorney in 1995.
•Over 20 years of experience
•Certified NHTSA Field Sobriety Test Instructor
•Certified in Forensic Chromatography
•Member of NACDL
•Member of American Chemical Society
•Nationally recognized by peers for experience and skill in DUI litigation
Colorado Springs, Colorado
phone: (719) 475-2555
fax: (719) 475-0046
email: Email Me
Admitted to the bar in 1991, Timothy Bussey is an experienced Colorado Springs criminal defense lawyer. During more than two decades in practice, Mr. Bussey has served in positions including prosecutor in El Paso and Teller Counties, active-duty Judge Advocate in the United States Air Force, and special assistant attorney general for the State of Colorado. Mr. Bussey’s more than two decades practicing in different capacities within the field of criminal law makes him highly effective in what has ultimately become his chosen mission: counseling the accused.
Why has Mr. Bussey chosen criminal defense? Criminal charges put the accused in a position of vulnerability, and in most cases the person charged has little choice but to put trust in defense counsel's diligence and loyalty. Mr. Bussey takes pride in fulfilling that trust. Likewise, criminal defendants often find the deck is stacked against them. This puts a lawyer's wits and dedication to a satisfying test.
Mr. Bussey has taken over 100 cases to trial before judges, juries and courts-martial. This is more than a statistic, since today's defense bar is loaded with attorneys who seem to avoid the courtroom at any cost. Granted, negotiating favorable dispositions is an important part of a defense lawyer's job. After all, Mr. Bussey has helped clients to settle more than a thousand cases without the cost and stress of a trial. But the mere opportunity to negotiate with the prosecutor is no substitute for a defense lawyer who is trial-ready. A prosecutor can smell the difference. Since 2007 Mr. Bussey has been rated by the American National Trial Lawyers as a Top 100 Trial Attorney in Colorado.
When case work becomes routine or repetitious, one response attorneys can take is to mechanize their practice or to perform half-heartedly. A much better response, and one that Mr. Bussey has chosen, is to use his experience as an opportunity for exploring new strategic ground. Now beginning his third decade of legal practice, Mr. Bussey has learned criminal cases are not fought just one at a time. From year to year there are hot-spots in different legal sub-fields and in different jurisdictions. A recent example was a growing conflict between the right of the accused to cross-examine witnesses and the government's desire to push DUI cases through the system as quickly as possible. When resolving these competing interests in Bullcoming v. New Mexico, 564 U.S. ____ (2011), the United States Supreme Court held in favor of the accused. In supporting its decision, the Supreme Court took recourse in an investigation of unreliable forensic practices in Colorado Springs. Mr. Bussey was at the forefront of the effort to bring those unreliable practices to light. This result was obtained through a sustained campaign of activism and diligent practice.
Mr. Bussey is a requested speaker at local and state Continuing Legal Education seminars and meetings. He is the lawyer other lawyers request when they need to learn innovative trial tactics and techniques. On a national level, Mr. Bussey spoke at the American Chemistry Society National Meeting in 2011. Mr. Bussey is also the nationally published co-author of “Defending DUI Vehicular Homicide cases.”
As a result of Timothy Bussey's dedication to the practice of criminal defense law, he has received an AV rating, the highest peer review rating under Martindale Hubbell's Peer Review Rating process. The AV Peer Review Rating shows that a lawyer has reached the height of professional excellence. An AV-rated attorney has usually practiced law for many years, and is recognized for the highest levels of skill and integrity.
Mr. Bussey is nothing if not energetic. Despite the demands of a busy law practice, Mr. Bussey enjoys making time for his family and coaching his kids' junior basketball teams. Contact a Colorado Springs DUI lawyer today.
Areas of Practice:
- Assault
- Theft
- Drugs
- Domestic Violence
- Sexual Assault
- Homicide
- Juvenile
- DUI/DWAI Defense
- License Reinstatement
- DMV Hearings
- Road Block Challenges
- Hit and Run
- Vehicular Assault
- Vehicular Homicide
- Habitual Traffic Offender
- Litigation & Appeals
- DUI/DWI
- Criminal Law
- Personal Injury -- Plaintiff
- Traffic Violations
- White Collar Crimes
Bar Admissions:
- Colorado, 1994
- Illinois, 1991
Education:
- Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chicago, Illinois, 1991
- University of Iowa, College of Business, 1988
Honors: Air Force ROTC Scholarship
Honors: Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society
Major: Finance
Professional Associations and Memberships:
- National College for DUI Defense Attorneys
- National Association Of Criminal Defense Attorneys (NACDL)
- Colorado Bar Association
- Colorado Criminal Defense Bar
- El Paso County Defense Bar
- American Chemical Society
Past Employment Positions:
- Air Force, Second Lieutenant, 1988
- United States Air Force, Judge Advocate on Active Duty, 1991
- Peterson Air Force Base, Active Duty Judge Advocate, 1992
- Office of the Area Defense Counsel (ADC), Peterson Air Force Base, Area Defense Counsel, 1994 - 1995
- Office of the District Attorney, Fourth Judicial District (El Paso and Teller Counties), Deputy District Attorney
- Teller County Office, Cripple Creek, Colorado, Sole Deputy District Attorney
Mr. Bussey has participated in the following Continuing Legal Education Seminars/Conferences:
"Challenging DUI Blood Tests", Speaker
CCDB
Colorado Springs, CO - 2012
Forensic Science & The Law
National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys
Las Vegas, NV - 2012
National College For DUI Defense Attorneys
NCDD
Winter Session, Orlando, FL - 2012
National Meeting, "Colorado state crime laboratory: What went wrong?", Speaker
American Chemical Society
Chemistry and the Law Session, Denver, CO - 2011
National College For DUI Defense Attorneys
NCDD
Summer Session, Cambridge, MA - 2011
Forensic Chromatography III: Theory and Practice
Axion Laboratories, Inc.
Chicago, IL - 2011
Mastering Scientific Evidence Conference
Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
New Orleans, LA - 2011
National College For DUI Defense Attorneys
NCDD
Summer Session, Cambridge, MA - 2010
Mastering Scientific Evidence Conference
NCDD, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
New Orleans, LA - 2010
Sobriety Testing Instructor Course
Platt and Associates, NHTSA/IACP
2010
Mastering Scientific Evidence Conference
NCDD, Texas Bar
2009
National College For DUI Defense
NCDD
Summer Conference, 2009
NHTSA Field Sobriety Testing Course
Platt and Associates
2009
Blood and Urine Training Seminar
Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia
December 4-7th 2008
2008 Summer Session
National College For DUI Defense
Harvard Law School
Cambridge, MA
July 21-23rd 2008
Mastering Scientific Evidence - 15th Annual
National College for DUI Defense/Texas Defense Lawyer's Association
Dallas, Texas
March 27-29 2008
2007 Winter Session
National College for DUI Defense
Tucson, Arizona
January 19-20 2007
2007 Summer Session
National College for DUI Defense
Harvard Law School
July 19-21 2007
2006 Summer Session
National College for DUI Defense
Harvard Law School
July 20-22 2006
2005 Summer Session
National College for DUI Defense
Harvard Law School
July 21-23 2005
Mastering Scientific Evidence - 12th Annual
Dallas, Texas
April 28-30 2005
Breath Alcohol Operator Forensic Workshop
IFRI - International Forensic Research Institute
Florida International University
CES Consulting
Breath Alcohol Operator Forensic Workshop
IFRI - International Forensic Research Institute
Florida International University
CES Consulting
West Palm Beach, Florida
November 19-21 2004
Not Guilty - Making it Happen
National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys
Spring Meeting
Fort Worth, Texas
May 2-5 2001
Colorado Criminal Defense Bar
Summer Meeting
Beaver Creek, Colorado
2000
Lawyering on the Edge: Pushing the Limits Of Aggressive Advocacy
National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys
Chicago, Illinois
November 3-6 1999
DWI Means Defense With Ingenuity
National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys
Las Vegas, Nevada
September 29-October 2 1999
June 3rd, 2013
