Tag: driver’s license

Felony OWI Amended to Public Intoxication

Follow the process.  That’s what the drunk driving defense lawyers at GRL Law do with every OWI. We meticulously sift through every bit of evidence in a case.  Every second of video.  Each word of an officer’s narrative.  All in search of a defense.   And when we find that gold nugget?  It can change everything. Take a recent felony OWI matter in southern Iowa.  The Iowa State Patrol claimed our client “refused” a urine test for marijuana metabolites. The stakes were definitely high.  Felony OWI convictions can result in lengthy prison or jail sentences and long license revocations. By applying […]

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NFG! Reasonable Doubt Driver Traveling 111 MPH in 65 Zone

There is something incredibly satisfying about beating a speeding ticket at trial. Especially when the driver is facing a 310-day license suspension for 46 mph over the legal limit and you’ve tried everything possible to negotiate a resolution to avoid the suspension. That’s what we faced when called to a bench trial recently in west central Iowa.  Our client paid the speeding ticket without knowing he would be suspended by the DOT.  Fortunately, we were able to get the conviction set aside.  That story is probably worth a blog post on its own! But the State wouldn’t budge on the […]

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Prosecutor Rebuffs Reasonable Resolution, Loses Entire Case. Operating While Intoxicated Charge and License Suspension Beat

Corning, Adams County, Iowa.  Prior to a hearing on defendant’s motion to suppress evidence, defendant offered to plead to an amended charge of Reckless Driving with the requirement of completing the operating while intoxicated weekend class.  The prosecution would have none of it choosing instead to go forward with the hearing.  At the hearing, the Sheriff’s Deputy was caught changing his sworn testimony multiple times.  Ultimately, the court concluded that the Deputy did not have a lawful reason to pull the defendant over and excluded all evidence obtained as a result of the stop.  Prosecutor is left with no evidence […]

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Video Doesn’t Lie

Boone County, Iowa.  Not to long ago many interactions with police officers were not captured on video but today most if not all interactions with police officers are captured on video.  Thankfully for a recent client of attorney Matt Lindholm the video saved the day allowing him to secure a dismissal of his client’s OWI charge and ultimately saving the client’s driver’s license.  Attorney Lindholm was able to enhance the video to show that the officer’s description of the client’s eyes during the HGN test was not supported by the video.  The video further failed to depict any significant signs […]

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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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Asking for a Blood Test is Not a Refusal

Many people arrested for operating while intoxicate have some idea that they have a right to obtain and independent test but they are not exactly clear on what it takes to exercise that right.  Fortunately, for a client of attorney Matt Lindholm, police officers also don’t entirely understand this right.  Thus, when this client was asked to provide a breath sample and he asked if he could get a blood test, the officer’s decision to consider this request a refusal was not a legally valid and enforceable refusal as he should have explained to the client the right to get […]

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OWI Dismissed

Wright County, Iowa.  Attorney Matt Lindholm (a.k.a The Wolf) recently secured the dismissal of a client’s operating while intoxicated charge and saved the client’s drivers license from being suspended.  Matt was able to obtain the preliminary breath testing calibration logs and determined that they were not kept in accordance with Iowa law which subsequently undermined the officer’s legal authority to ask the client for a breath test.

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Calibration Matters

Thousands of people each year are subjected to preliminary breath tests (PBTs) by Iowa law enforcement officers in an effort to determine their alcohol concentration as part of criminal investigations.  One of the most frequent situations in which PBT’s are used are to determine if a person should be arrested for operating while intoxicated or if implied consent should be invoked.  Officers are required by law to not only calibrate their preliminary breath testing devices each month but are also required to keep a log of these calibrations and the failure to do so can have significant consequences.  Attorney Matt […]

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Arrest Means Arrest

Under Iowa law the term “arrest” has a specific meaning and requires certain procedural steps in order to make the arrest “lawful.”  These steps are imperative when determining if a peace officer has lawfully requested a blood, breath, or urine sample from someone suspected of operating while intoxicated.  Attorney Matt Lindholm recently exploited this situation in a for a client facing an OWI charge in Decatur County, Iowa.  Despite the fact that the police officer’s report and the implied consent form (which was signed under penalty of perjury) indicated that the client had been lawfully placed under arrest for OWI, […]

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The Law–Just Follow the Law

Polk County, Iowa.   A GRL client recently got an Operating While Intoxicated charge dismissed following a ruling by the court throwing out the breath test refusal.  Attorney Matt Lindholm was able to secure the dismissal for the client after showing that the preliminary breath testing device used in the case did not comply with Iowa’s calibration requirements.  In addition to the charge getting dismissed, the client was able to prevent any loss of his driver’s license.

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