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 […]
GRL Law successfully argued for the dismissal of drug charges following a traffic stop in western Iowa. The State charged our client initially with marijuana possession. Multiple other felony charges were likely once the DCI Lab tested other substances seized by police. There was one problem. Probable cause to search requires an objective alert by […]
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 […]
Police and prosecutors use forfeiture laws to take ownership of property that is allegedly related to criminal activity. The police needn’t even arrest the owner to take advantage of Iowa’s civil forfeiture laws. More often than not, criminal charges are never filed by police. They simply seize property (mainly cash) during any traffic stop, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
In United States v. Jones, 565 U.S. 400 (2012), the Supreme Court announced that any physical intrusion onto a personal “effect,” such as a vehicle parked on a public street, was a search under the Fourth Amendment when done for the purposes of gathering information. Most attorneys and judges understand Jones to be the “GPS […]
Colin Murphy was once again named to the Great Plains Super Lawyers list in 2020, an honor reserved for those lawyers who exhibit excellence in practice. Only 5 percent of attorneys in the region receive this distinction.
