Tag: Fremont

Drug Charges Thrown Out After GRL Challenges Search of Commercial Motor Vehicle

In what may be the first ruling of its kind in Buchanan County, a GRL client is a free man today after the district court there suppressed the search of his semi truck and dismissed all charges. At issue was the Level II inspection criteria that many counties with weight stations impermissibly use to justify searches for “alcohol and drugs.” GRL previously covered this topic here. CDL drivers are usually at the mercy of DOT officers and state troopers who believe all closed containers in the truck cabin are subject to search.  To be sure, commercial trucking is certainly a […]

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FMCSA Level II Inspections for Alcohol and Drugs

The drug crime attorneys at GRL have seen our fair share of searches involving commercial motor vehicles.  Whether its a random stop on the highway or the weight station, DOT officers will seize the opportunity to search closed containers in the truck cab under the authority for inspecting closely regulating industries. They will tell the driver the search is for receipts and permits and the like.  But you should know it is for alcohol and drugs instead. The DOT claims it has the authority to search your mini-fridge, Igloo coolers, personal belongings, etc., based on the reference to “alcohol and […]

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