Readers of the blog are no doubt aware of GRL Law’s work on warrantless garbage searches. Earlier this summer, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled the police practice unconstitutional in State v. Wright, but remanded the case to the district court for a second look at the warrant. This time the district court could not consider […]
Maybe the timing is coincidental, but GRL Law secured a dismissal of all charges in State v. Wright on the same day the Iowa Supreme Court reaffirmed the constitutional underpinning of trash rips in State v. Kuuttila. One might think that this line of cases would be the last word on the issue. But if […]
In what may be the first ruling of its kind in Buchanan County, a GRL client is a free man today after the district court there suppressed the search of his semi truck and dismissed all charges. At issue was the Level II inspection criteria that many counties with weight stations impermissibly use to justify […]
On September 21, 2022 the Iowa Court of Appeals affirmed felony convictions for possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine and drug tax stamps in State v. Hansel. The ruling provides a great reminder to drug crime attorneys on the proper way to object to evidence, especially “prior bad acts” testimony. In this case, the arresting […]
In Iowa, a person can have their driver’s license taken from them in a number of ways. For example, a person can be suspended for non-payment of fines, revoked for an operating while intoxicated test refusal or result over the legal limit of drugs and/or alcohol, or barred for other serious violations. It’s important to […]
If you have cash seized for forfeiture by the Iowa State Patrol or another law enforcement agency during a traffic stop, then due process entitles you to certain rights. Normally, the trooper will provide you with a Notice of Seizure for Forfeiture. This will list the date, time and location along with a description of […]
There is a growing trend in Iowa when it comes to OWI investigations, particularly those involving drugs other than alcohol. Peace officers are bypassing the standard implied consent procedures and seeking search warrants for blood instead. It’s not just for situations involving deaths or potentially fatal injuries. Yes, there’s a law authorizing search warrants in […]
GRL Law successfully argued for the dismissal of drug charges following a traffic stop in western Iowa. The State charged our client initially with marijuana possession. Multiple other felony charges were likely once the DCI Lab tested other substances seized by police. There was one problem. Probable cause to search requires an objective alert by […]
“Bin it” is a phrase used when asking someone to put something in the trash. GRL Law recently asked the district court to bin two drug felonies arising from a warrantless trash rip. If you are regular reader of this blog, then you know we convinced the Iowa Supreme Court earlier to find this police […]
GRL Law secures yet another dismissal for a CDL driver. DOT enforcement stopped our client for driving past an open scale. The officer conducted a Level I inspection and ultimately cited her for multiple violations. Plea negotiations ended abruptly when the officer refused to cut any slack. So we tried all four charges to the […]
