Category: Uncategorized

GRL Saves License After Driver Cited for 30 mph Over

The traffic ticket defense attorneys at GRL Law save yet another driver’s license from suspension.  A conviction for driving more than 24 mph over the posted speed limit carries a hefty fine.  It also constitutes a “serious violation” for DOT purposes.  The Iowa DOT typically suspends a license for 90 days for a conviction of 30 mph over.  And requires expensive SR22 insurance for two years.  Speeding is a moving violation, too, so a conviction can also be used to separately suspend driving privileges for young drivers with a restricted license. In this case, we were able to negotiate a […]

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Public Intoxication Charge Dismissed at State’s Cost

Sometimes police are way too aggressive in their attempts to ferret out crime.  When that occurs, the criminal defense attorneys at GRL Law are often called to secure justice for the accused. A perfect example of this happened recently in Ankeny. Our client was simply walking on a sidewalk when the police approached in a patrol car.  Small talk soon led to a request for field sobriety and breath testing, both of which were politely refused.  When the officer announced he was making an arrest, our client offered a breath test. The result? 0.019 percent alcohol.  Maybe a beer’s worth.  […]

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Retail Sale of Raw Hemp Flower

Is it legal to sell raw hemp flower in Iowa? Yes, but it depends on the retailer’s intent. Iowa law prohibits “smokable” hemp where the intent is to inhale the products of combustion.  Possession or sale of such hemp products is punishable as a serious misdemeanor under Iowa Code section 204.14A. However, raw hemp flower, like hemp seed and powder, is very nutritious.  In addition to phytocannabinoid acids and terpenes, raw hemp flower contains essential fatty acids, amino acids, dietary fiber and other enzymes, vitamins and minerals. For that reason, it can be consumed like any other dark green leafy […]

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If you got charged with an OWI you NEED to hire this attorney!!!

Hands down the best experience I’ve received dealing with a criminal charge. You know that anxiety feeling you get when you think may have just ruined your entire life after getting charged with a DUI, well that goes away after speaking with Bobby and his staff. They know the ins and outs of the entire process and its great knowing you have someone on your side to fight for you. Bobby has a very calm demeanor and was a pleasure to work with and was always just a phone call away. I liked how you pay for services up front […]

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Knowledge of Drug Residue Can Be Inferred from Evidence

In State v. Hummell, No. 19-1691 (Nov. 30, 2020), the Iowa Court of Appeals reminds the criminal defense bar that a defendant’s knowledge of contraband can be inferred from evidence. The facts are pretty straightforward.  Police seized a broken glass vial with a white powdery substance from Hummell’s pocket following his arrest.  Hummell claimed that he regularly picked up random items from the ground and pocketed them.  The residue later tested positive for methamphetamine. In order to support a conviction for possession of a controlled substance, the State is required to prove two elements beyond a reasonable doubt: That the […]

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THC Metabolites Detected in Urine Following Full-Spectrum CBD Use

The November 4, 2020 issue of JAMA Psychiatry published results from a recent study examining whether the use of full-spectrum CBD from legal hemp (< 0.30% Δ9-THC) would lead to positive urine test results for THC metabolites. It has been often assumed that hemp-derived cannabidiol products will test negative for urinary THC.  However, the study showed that half of subjects tested positive for carboxy-THC, an inactive metabolite of Δ9-THC, after four weeks of daily use.  Samples were initially screened through urine drug assays.  Positive screens were confirmed through gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy. The results suggest that individuals consistently using full-spectrum, hemp-derived […]

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Reckless Driving Causing Death is not a Lesser Offense of OWI Vehicular Homicide

A unanimous Iowa Supreme Court ruled on October 23, 2020 that homicide by reckless driving is not a lesser included offense of homicide by OWI. In State v. Johnson, the defendant argued he was entitled to a jury instruction that his reckless driving, not operating while intoxicated, was the cause of a crash that took the life of passenger in the other vehicle. To determine whether a crime is a lesser included offense, the Court uses the “impossibility” test.  Is it impossible to commit one crime without committing the other?  Does the first (greater) crime include every essential element of […]

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Exceptional Outcome in Marijuana Edible and Flower Felony WIN

Garner, Hancock County, Iowa.  After successfully vacating two convictions through post-conviction relief efforts [more on that here], the drug defense attorneys at GRL Law accomplished what former trial counsel was simply unable to do years ago: develop reasonable doubt that our client committed any felony offense involving marijuana or marijuana edibles. Our aggressive pre-trial discovery efforts raised serious questions regarding whether the alleged victim was duped into consuming chocolate containing THC.   On the contrary, it appeared instead that she pilfered clearly-labeled marijuana edibles from our client’s personal belongings without permission.  Only after she knowingly ate her way into a hazy […]

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CDL Traffic Ticket Defense – Yes, We Do That, Too!

The trial attorneys at GRL Law have a well-earned reputation for zealously and aggressively representing those accused of serious criminal offenses in Iowa. While we are perhaps best known for our statewide defense of drinking drivers including felony vehicular homicide, the firm is also recognized for its work in other complex areas of the law such as sex offenses and drug charges. One area that typically doesn’t make the news, but is nevertheless a highly specialized niche for the firm, is the defense of CDL traffic tickets. We defend all CDL-related citations.  Statewide.  Everything from excessive speed and lane changes […]

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Team Member Needed – GRL Law is Hiring

Do you: Do the right thing above all else? Put others before yourself? Empathize with those enduring hardships? Flourish in a collaborative team environment? Possess an assertive, driven, growth-oriented mindset? If you answer “yes” to all of those questions, you may be a fit for the GRL Team. The GRL Team consists of six attorneys and five full-time staff members.  We have outgrown our current office management capacity and have every intention to continue to grow and strengthen our team.  To accomplish our goals, the GRL Team needs a full-time bookkeeper to manage the day-to-day financial workings of our firm. […]

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