Tag: criminal defense

The Reciprocity Defense for Possessing Out-of-State Medical Marijuana in Iowa

When it comes to possession charges for out-of-state medical marijuana, you should look no further than GRL Law. Many prosecutors will charge these possession offenses under Iowa Code section 124.401(5).  This effectively treats medical marijuana like a street drug rather than a therapeutic purchased at a licensed dispensary.  Most attorneys who dabble in criminal defense accept this framing and go to work negotiating a mandatory minimum plea or deferred judgment. Not GRL Law. We won’t rest without fighting to get the charges dismissed. How do you choose the right attorney for this specialized possession charge in Iowa?  Just ask them […]

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NFG! 78 in 70 Reversed on Appeal

Frequent readers of the GRL Law blog are familiar with the term “NFG.” We also explain it in detail here.  A NFG can occur at trial.  Or, like this case, on appeal. At the close of the state’s case at trial, the criminal defense attorneys at GRL Law moved to dismiss the speeding charge.  Why?  The trooper testified on cross-examination that he was not sworn before a notary at the time he signed the complaint before filing it with the magistrate.  The Iowa Constitution requires a sworn verification. The magistrate refused to grant the judgment of acquittal for our client […]

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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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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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NFG – What Does It Mean?

NFG.  It is a phenomenon amongst the criminal defense community started by the GRL team. It has been on cakes, cookies, and even cupcakes.  You may see the GRL Law, NFG t-shirts out and about.  There is a story behind every single one.  It started with a simple hashtag on social media posts but has morphed into something much greater.  It has become a cultural expression of sorts for those who are battling cases out in the arena.  Gladiators, daring greatly, fighting with everything on the line for their client’s freedom. NFG is an expression of the emotion that overcomes […]

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CDL Saved After OWI Amended to Public Intoxication

The impaired driving attorneys at GRL Law successfully negotiated another resolution to preserve a client’s CDL.  After winning the DOT hearing, we leveraged that result by convincing the county attorney to amend the OWI to public intoxication with a minimum fine of $105 and no jail time.  The DOT would have disqualified the client’s CDL had he pleaded guilty as charged.  The negotiation saved his commercial driving privileges. A tip of the hat to the county attorney who was willing to reevaluate the charge in light of our efforts with the DOT.

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Postal Service “Profile” for Mailed Drug Packages

Did you know the postal inspector examines hundreds of suspicious packages each week at the Des Moines mail processing center for narcotics and drug proceeds?  What factors make some packages stand out from others?  Here are the top 5: Fictitious name, address or telephone number.  People who ship narcotics often provide fake information to avoid detection if the package is traced.  It might be a fictitious name for the return label.  Perhaps the return address isn’t associated with the sender’s name or simply doesn’t exist.  The packing slip may provide a disconnected phone number or none at all.  While the […]

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Not Guilty x 41 Counts

Adel, Dallas County, Iowa.  A Dallas County Jury found GRL Law’s client not guilty on a total of 41 counts after slightly over an hour of deliberation.  In one of the first prosecutions under a new law passed in 2018, the State accused GRL Law’s client of what has been commonly referred to as “Revenge Porn.”  The new law makes it a crime to “disseminate, publish, distribute, post or cause to be disseminated, published, distributed or posted, a photograph or film showing another person in a state of full or partial nudity or engaged in a sex act” with the […]

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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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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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