Tag: drug dog

How Long Can an Officer Detain Me During a Traffic Stop?

Have you ever been cruising down the interstate, humming along to one of your favorites on the radio, and enjoying a beautiful day when you look in the rearview mirror and see flashes of blue and red?  You quickly look down at your speedometer.  11 m.p.h. over the speed limit. Your heart sinks.  You pull over to the side of the road. The officer approaches and tells you that you were speeding.  You swallow the lump in your throat as he asks for your license, registration, and insurance. You hand your documents to him and he briefly scans them over.  […]

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THC Vape Charges Dismissed After Search of Mail Suppressed

It goes without saying that postal service investigations rarely turn out well for those who receive marijuana products by mail.  Drug dogs and search warrants will conspire to reveal the contents of suspicious packages before they reach the mailbox.  At that point, the recipients face a Hobson’s choice: either snitch on friends or cop to a felony. What can you do when neither is an option? You guessed it. You get the drug crime lawyers at GRL Law involved. Here’s an example of how we can flip the script on these mailed drug cases that don’t involve the odor of […]

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Murphy Presents at NORML ISU Chapter Meeting

On October 13, 2021 GRL Law’s own Colin Murphy spoke before a packed room of cannabis activists at the ISU Memorial Union. The presentation for NORML ISU focused on the current status of marijuana and cannabis extracts.  Colin discussed what not to do during traffic stops.  He also reviewed important driver rights to assert during detention and arrest. GRL’s firm culture emphasizes public outreach especially when it comes to emerging legal issues like cannabis.  Our attorneys regularly take part in educating the general public, criminal defense bar and bench. Presentations like this are what sets GRL Law apart as the […]

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Court of Appeals Reminds Drug Defense Bar to Preserve Error

On June 16, 2021 the Iowa Court of Appeals issued a reminder to the drug defense bar in State v. Britcher.  Police deployed a drug K9 around Britcher’s vehicle following a traffic stop for license plate lamp and registration plate violations.  A probable cause search ensued that revealed methamphetamine. Britcher argued on appeal that police impermissibly expanded both the duration and scope of the traffic stop.  He also challenged the use of the K9 inside his car.  Three issues in total. The Court of Appeals upheld the admissibility of evidence because police did not expand the duration of the traffic […]

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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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Consequences of Marijuana Possession in a Commercial Motor Vehicle

The drug defense attorneys at GRL have blogged before on the pitfalls of being stopped by police with marijuana in your personal vehicle.  Fortunately, Iowa no longer suspends your driving privileges for drug convictions. Does this mean you can keep personal use quantities in the sleeper area of a semi truck? In a word, no.  Not unless, of course, you are looking to have your CDL privileges disqualified for six months. That’s right. You will lose your privilege to drive a commercial motor vehicle if convicted of most simple possession offenses.   Marijuana, amphetamines or any narcotic drug will do the […]

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The Constructive Possession Defense for Marijuana

The drug defense attorneys at GRL Law have seen it all when it comes to traffic stops involving cannabis.  This is especially true when police charge a driver with possession for weed located under a passenger’s seat.    Is there a defense for the driver? Absolutely! Because this marijuana is not actually found on the driver, the State must establish he constructively possessed it by proving he: Exercised dominion and control over it; Knew of its presence; and Knew it was a controlled substance. A driver’s close physical proximity to contraband is insufficient to constitute dominion and control.  The same […]

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Suppression of Urine Test Result Leads to OWI Dismissal WIN

Northwood, Worth County, Iowa.  The district court in Worth County granted the State’s motion to dismiss the charge of OWI, but not before suppressing the results of a urine test. A thorough review of traffic stop and implied consent videos revealed several issues that were briefed by the drugged driving attorneys at GRL Law, including whether: The deputy lacked reasonable suspicion to detain the driver; The deputy unreasonably prolonged the traffic stop to await a drug dog; The drug dog trespassed onto the vehicle turning the “free air sniff” into an unreasonable search; The handler cued the drug dog to […]

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