Tag: Appellate advocacy

Charges Dismissed Following Trash Rip Suppression

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 you read the dissent, then you’ll see that the minority clearly wants to overrule a precedent that is barely four months old.   In fact, they go as far as to encourage city councils and even the Iowa General Assembly to revive the now illegal police […]

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Evidence Suppressed Following Trash Rip Remand

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 any of the evidence seized during the trash rips in determining probable cause. The result? The only information that survived the Supreme Court’s ruling was uncorroborated hearsay.  That information itself was months old. There was no choice but to invalidate the warrant.  That means all […]

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GRL Overturns License Suspension for Driver Traveling 100 MPH

The traffic ticket defense lawyers at GRL Law field calls regularly from drivers cited for excessive speed.  More often than not, it’s only after they receive a suspension notice from the Iowa DOT. That’s right.  The consequences of pleading guilty are more than just the fine, surcharge and court costs.  The DOT can suspend the privileges of anyone convicted for speeding more than 24 miles over the posted limit or what is referred to as a “serious violation.” The minimum suspension for a serious violation is 60 days (25 mph over) while the maximum is one year (49 mph or […]

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Iowa Supreme Court

GRL Law’s 15 Years of Appellate Advocacy

At GRL Law, we are preparing to argue yet another case before the Iowa Supreme Court next month in State v. Sewell.  The case involves law enforcement’s attempts to record phone conversations between arrested persons and their attorneys while at the jail.  As we prepare to argue Sewell, we also  eagerly await two pending decisions in State v. Kilby and State v. Wright.  Both of these cases involve significant issues related to the privacy and constitutional rights of Iowans. Looking back over the years, this year marks the 15th year of GRL Law’s zealous appellate advocacy.  In total, GRL Law […]

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