Tag: commercial drivers license

CDL Saved After GRL Law Proves Implied Consent Error

If you read our blog regularly, then you’ve seen several posts this year about GRL Law saving commercial driver licenses from disqualification.  This post is no exception. Another CDL saved? That’s right! Our client was asked to submit a breath sample to determine his alcohol concentration.  He consented to testing after which time the DOT attempted to revoke his driving privileges. A thorough review of the implied consent process revealed the officer made a mistake.  He advised our client that a test failure (over 0.08) results in a one-year disqualification, but a refusal results in a lifetime ban.  That’s not […]

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NFG! CDL Driver Not Guilty of Failing to Yield to Emergency Vehicle

GRL Law saved another out-of-state CDL holder from being convicted of a moving violation. A concerned motorist called in about a load spilling from the back of a semi truck.  A veteran DOT officer found a vehicle matching the description, but the doors to the trailer were closed. He followed the truck for several miles with lights and sirens before the truck pulled over. Our client was charged with failure to yield to an emergency vehicle. On cross-examination, we established the citation was not properly notarized. The Iowa Constitution requires that all cases be tried on information under oath.  The […]

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OWI Amended to Public Intoxication Preserves CDL

Another result of our relentless pretrial discovery efforts is now on display in Jasper County.  After painstakingly reviewing every word of the implied consent video, we discovered that our client asked for an attorney.  The officer did not honor this request, but instead requested a breath sample for testing on the DataMaster DMT.  Our client refused. Iowa law provides a limited right to consult with a lawyer while being detained by police.   The prosecutor amended the OWI because the breath test refusal would not be admissible due to the violation. The result?  A simple misdemeanor.  No jail.  A fine of […]

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GRL Wins DOT and Saves CDL

Iowa provides a limited statutory right to speak with a family member or attorney before submitting to breath testing.  Most of the time, the driver must first trigger the right by asking for a phone call. In this case, our client told the officer he had an out-of-state CDL.  He asked whether implied consent would affect his commercial driver’s license.  When the officer said that he couldn’t answer that question, our client replied that he would wait for the lawyer to arrive. The officer immediately requested a breath specimen.  Our client refused. GRL Law recently appealed the one year revocation […]

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A Deferred Judgment Does Count – Felony Domestic Assault Reduced – OWI Charge Dismissed

Garner, Hancock County, Iowa.  Felony Domestic Abuse allegation reduced to a simple misdemeanor and OWI accusation dismissed.  A thorough investigation into the circumstances of the allegations revealed that the arresting officer improperly informed GRL Law’s client that his prior deferred judgment for operating while intoxicated did not count as a prior offense.  This misinformation, when pointed out, resulted in the license suspension being reversed by the Iowa Department of Transportation which also saved client’s commercial drivers license.  The operating while intoxicated criminal accusation was consequently dismissed.  The initial felony charge related to allegations of domestic abuse assault was ultimately reduced […]

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GRL Saves CDL After Officer Unreasonably Limits Phone Calls

When your CDL is at risk for failing a breath test, you need the expertise of the impaired driving defense attorneys at GRL Law. Merely three weeks after suppressing a breath test to save a commercial driver’s license, the firm’s efforts have rescued another CDL holder, this time through the DOT appeal process. The administrative law judge found that the arresting officer provided our client only 14 minutes to place phone calls prior to chemical testing.  When the last call attempt went to voice mail at the stroke of the deadline, the officer exclaimed “Times Up!” and took his phone […]

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The Collision between CDLs and OWIs in Iowa

I was recently watching videos from an OWI arrest when one of my clients asked the officer, “does the legal limit of .04 for a CDL (i.e. Commercial Driver’s License) holder apply all the time or just when driving a commercial vehicle.”  I was caught off guard because the client was not operating a commercial vehicle when he was stopped but still was under the belief that the legal limit of .04 might apply to him.  The client expressed his belief that his confusion was common with CDL holders.  I began thinking back to my previous cases in which my […]

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Don’t Pay an Overweight Truck Ticket Without First Consulting GRL

The CDL traffic ticket defense lawyers at GRL Law represent local and out-of-state drivers, trucking companies and owner-operators cited with overweight violations throughout the State of Iowa. When it comes to overweight axle or gross weight violations, you should always remember this Murphy’s Law:  Don’t pay the ticket without consulting GRL first. Overweight fines for single or tandem axles and gross weight violations are thousands of dollars per ticket.  Unpaid fines will result in the loss of your CDL privileges. If you simply pay the fine, then you waive your right to a jury trial and the matter is reported […]

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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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CDL Advisories Matter

Boone County, Iowa.  CDL licenses are a lively hood for many Iowans and the loss of a CDL license stemming from an arrest for operating while intoxicated can have significant impacts.  Fortunately, Iowa’s implied consent laws require an arresting officer to properly inform a CDL holder about the consequences to their CDL licenses in the event they submit to a blood, breath, or urine test failure or refusal.  If this is not completed properly the resulting test results for failure can be deemed inadmissible at trial.  Fortunately for a recent GRL client, this mishap allowed the client to not only […]

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