Category: GRL Law

Don’t Answer this Question During an OWI Traffic Stop

The drunk driving lawyers at GRL Law routinely advise people what to do during a traffic stop. For example, you should provide your license, registration and proof of insurance upon request.  And, if the officer asks you to step out of your car, then follow those directions. But when it comes to field sobriety tests, you can politely decline.  A preliminary breath test?  Sure, if they agree to show you the result. However, there is one question that you should never answer at the roadside. “So, on a scale of zero to ten, with zero being the most sober and […]

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Highly Recommend Colin Murphy

I received a traffic ticket for excessive speeding in my personal vehicle and I have a CDL endorsement.  I was searching for the best lawyer and I definitely found him.  Colin Murphy not only defended the case with professionalism but also was always there to answer my questions. I highly recommend Colin because he pays attention to details and knows how the law functions. I am very thankful for his help and I am glad our paths crossed!   https://www.avvo.com/attorneys/50266-ia-colin-murphy-624792/reviews.html    

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GRL Secures Return of $35K in Cash Seized During Raid

The forfeiture attorneys at GRL Law routinely call for immediate action by citizens when police seize personal property like cash and firearms without a warrant.  If you don’t act promptly, you risk losing out on any claim for the return of your property. That’s right.  The police might keep your cash! We had the opportunity recently to challenge the seizure of more than $35,000 in cash seized during a search warrant raid.  The warrant didn’t specify cash, but the police seized it anyway. GRL Law went to work.  We argued that the money was not evidence of a crime or […]

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How Long Can an Officer Detain Me During a Traffic Stop?

Have you ever been cruising down the interstate, humming along to one of your favorites on the radio, and enjoying a beautiful day when you look in the rearview mirror and see flashes of blue and red?  You quickly look down at your speedometer.  11 m.p.h. over the speed limit. Your heart sinks.  You pull over to the side of the road. The officer approaches and tells you that you were speeding.  You swallow the lump in your throat as he asks for your license, registration, and insurance. You hand your documents to him and he briefly scans them over.  […]

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From Rape to Restitution- A Look at Iowa’s Death Restitution Statute

By now much of the nation has heard of Pieper Lewis and many of those people are scratching their heads wondering how this abandoned juvenile went from being forced into sex trafficking and raped for $50 worth of marijuana to having to pay the family of her now deceased rapist $150,000. The simple answer is because she plead guilty to a felony which caused the death of another person pursuant to Iowa Code Section 910.3B.   However, that simple answer is unsettling given the nature of Piper’s case and is causing many, including her lawyers, to question the applicability of that […]

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THC Vape Charges Dismissed After Search of Mail Suppressed

It goes without saying that postal service investigations rarely turn out well for those who receive marijuana products by mail.  Drug dogs and search warrants will conspire to reveal the contents of suspicious packages before they reach the mailbox.  At that point, the recipients face a Hobson’s choice: either snitch on friends or cop to a felony. What can you do when neither is an option? You guessed it. You get the drug crime lawyers at GRL Law involved. Here’s an example of how we can flip the script on these mailed drug cases that don’t involve the odor of […]

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Jury exonerates man of sexual abuse allegation from 20 years ago

HAMILTON COUNTY – Client was charged with Sex Abuse in the Second Degree based on an allegation claimed to have occurred 17 years prior.  After being initially charged, the Assistant County Attorney who was handling the case filed a Motion to Dismiss the case.  Before the motion could be granted by the Court, the head County Attorney, who was personally affiliated with the complaining witnesses father, withdrew the Motion to Dismiss.  Months later the case was turned over to the Iowa Attorney General’s Office to continue with the prosecution.  Three years after the charge was brought against him, the case […]

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Drug Charge Dismissed After GRL Challenges Marijuana Identification

GRL recently put its knowledge of drug identification procedures to the test in a case involving alleged THC vape liquid. Police seized a vape cart during a traffic stop.  Field testing of the liquid extract showed a positive color change indicating the possible presence of marijuana. Frequent readers of the GRL Law blog know that field testing can mistake CBD for marijuana.  We’ve discussed this phenomenon here. This is where things get interesting. Police didn’t send the cart to the state crime lab.  Instead, they sent it to a local department that employs an officer with training in marijuana identification.  […]

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