Tiffany Drahota
Senior Counsel
Honors, Distinctions, and Education
- 2022 National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys (NACDA) “Top 10 Under 40” for Colorado in criminal defense.
- 2015 – Present Named Colorado Super Lawyer
- 2014 – 2016 Deputy Public Defender Arapahoe County, Colorado
- 2010 – 2014 Associate Attorney Killmer, Lane & Newman – Civil Rights Law Firm
- 2010 Juris Doctorate, University of Nebraska College of Law
- 2009 Bachelor of Science in Journalism, Creighton University, cum laude
- DistinctionsMember, Nebraska Law Review
University of Colorado, mock trial team coach
Fluent in Spanish
Tiffany Drahota is one of the few trial lawyers that practices both civil rights and criminal defense. Fiercely compassionate, trial work has been the tool to breathe life into her mission of protecting civil rights and the liberties of individuals. She is a former Colorado State Public Defender and worked in private practice at one of the most prominent civil rights firms in the country. During her time at that firm, she was part of a litigation team that won millions of dollars in civil rights claims in matters ranging from employment discrimination to excessive force claims against police departments, and successfully litigated a variety of First Amendment cases.
The unifying characteristic in her forty-plus jury trials and thousands of in-court hearings is understanding the power of persuasion. In a high-profile Colorado Springs murder trial in which a former Green Beret shot an intruder in his detached garage, jurors were entranced during her three-dimensional presentation when her trial team actually built out the small garage in the well of the courtroom. Her client was exonerated of the sole count of negligent homicide. As were many of her clients charged with felony sex assault, DUI, fraud and drug cases, and countless other serious matters.
Tiffany’s notable civil rights verdicts in federal court include jury trial victories in employment discrimination and police misconduct cases. Tiffany wrote critical pre-trial motions and spearheaded arguments about a variety of important evidentiary issues in cases involving governmental and institutional abuses of power. Meanwhile, in cases involving Title IX and school disciplinary boards, none of her teen clients have ever been expelled.
Representative Cases:
- $450,000 settlement against Denver Police Department for excessive force case, United States District Court, Denver, Colorado.
- Not guilty jury verdict on El Paso County homicide, involving accusation against a Green Beret in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
- Jury award of over $250,000 in employment discrimination case, federal court, Denver, Colorado. Client was lured away from her corporate job only to discover that the new company’s true motive was to poach her accounts. She had her day in court, explained how she was gas-lighted by malicious corporate executives, then went on to become CEO of a national, billion-dollar franchise of fitness studios.
- Sex assault jury trial in Denver, Colorado, resulting in acquittal on all counts after showing monetary motive of false allegation born out of a child custody battle.
- Boulder, Colorado jury trial not guilty involving First Amendment defense of client videotaping the police near a crime scene.
- Presentation of complex toxicology defense resulting in not guilty jury verdict for Uber driver accused of sexual assault in Jefferson County, Colorado.
- Part of winning trial team effort in reducing charges of sexual assault, carrying potential life imprisonment sentence, to misdemeanor in Douglas County, Colorado. Presented complex toxicology and DNA defenses, played the role of prosecution utilizing three different mock juries selected by the nationally recognized “DOAR” focus group.