“As an out of state attorney, I referred a matter to Colin Murphy for handling. He and his assistant, Leilani, were very quick to respond to requests for information and very understanding about educating and communicating with my client. I highly recommend him and this office.”
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 […]
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 a reliable and well-trained K9. Although law enforcement deployed a drug K9 on the vehicle, the dog never alerted to the presence of contraband. It merely showed interest without ever sitting. After reviewing the case, the county attorney decided to dismiss the pending possession charge […]
“Bin it” is a phrase used when asking someone to put something in the trash. GRL Law recently asked the district court to bin two drug felonies arising from a warrantless trash rip. If you are regular reader of this blog, then you know we convinced the Iowa Supreme Court earlier to find this police tactic unconstitutional in State v. Wright. We leveraged our work in Wright to challenge felony charges in another county. The facts were nearly identical. Police illegally trespassed onto our client’s garbage containers set out for collection to scavenge trash. A search of this trash led […]
Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa. A traffic stop on I-35 led to the discovery of marijuana in a car trunk. The trooper cited the driver for speeding, but charged the passenger with possession of marijuana. The drug defense attorneys at GRL Law have written before on the constructive possession defense. This case presented yet another opportunity to raise it now on the passenger’s behalf. Because the trooper did not discover the marijuana in our client’s actual possession, the state needed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that she constructively possessed it. That requires evidence that the passenger not only knew […]
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 […]
If a person approves and agrees to the commission of a drug crime, then he will be treated the same as the person who is accused of actually committing the crime. This is referred to as “aiding and abetting.” How does a person aid and abet a drug crime? It’s simple. Either he actively participates in a delivery or grow or knowingly advises or encourages it beforehand. Aiding and abetting may be inferred from circumstantial evidence including companionship and conduct surrounding the transaction. This is because knowledge of a person’s state of mind is seldom capable of direct proof. For […]
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 […]
West Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa. The drug defense attorneys at GRL Law successfully negotiated the dismissal of drug charges after challenging the traffic stop. The arresting officer claimed in his report that “the light was red” when “[the car] traversed the intersection.” His dash camera showed instead that our client’s car was nearly through the intersection when the signal changed from yellow to red. There was no evidence the car entered the intersection on a yellow light. The officer later searched the car and discovered nearly 50 grams of processed marijuana flower. No tax stamps were affixed to the […]
Garner, Hancock County, Iowa. After successfully vacating two convictions through post-conviction relief efforts [more on that here], the drug defense attorneys at GRL Law accomplished what former trial counsel was simply unable to do years ago: develop reasonable doubt that our client committed any felony offense involving marijuana or marijuana edibles. Our aggressive pre-trial discovery efforts raised serious questions regarding whether the alleged victim was duped into consuming chocolate containing THC. On the contrary, it appeared instead that she pilfered clearly-labeled marijuana edibles from our client’s personal belongings without permission. Only after she knowingly ate her way into a hazy […]
