Hey, Senator Dawson and Representative Holt! It’s your boy, Murph. Didn’t I tell you in March that this wouldn’t turn out well? I’m talking about your unconstitutional efforts to restore the illegal practice of warrantless garbage searches in Iowa. You know, the police tactic that we struck down last year in State v. Wright? The […]
On September 21, 2022 the Iowa Court of Appeals affirmed felony convictions for possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine and drug tax stamps in State v. Hansel. The ruling provides a great reminder to drug crime attorneys on the proper way to object to evidence, especially “prior bad acts” testimony. In this case, the arresting […]
For the fifth time since joining GRL Law in 2018, Colin Murphy was once again named to the Great Plains Super Lawyers list in 2022, an honor reserved for those lawyers who exhibit excellence in practice. Only 5 percent of attorneys in the region receive this distinction.
Readers of the GRL Law blog are no doubt familiar with the firm’s efforts to protect the privacy rights of Iowans in State v. Wright. That’s the 2021 ruling from the Iowa Supreme Court that banned police from trespassing on your curbside garbage and searching it without a warrant. Predictably, the law enforcement community threw […]
There was a time when the observation of marijuana seeds on the floorboard of a vehicle provided probable cause to search. Why? Because the definition of “marijuana” under Iowa law includes cannabis seeds. However, with the passage of the Iowa Hemp Act, Iowa Code chapter 204, that may no longer be the case. “Hemp” in […]
Earlier this year GRL convinced the Iowa Supreme Court to outlaw the police tactic of warrantless garbage searches in State v. Wright. We haven’t rested on our laurels since the ruling. Instead, we got to work in several counties where these trash rips resulted in felony charges. A recent case in southeastern Iowa was no […]
One of the collateral consequences to a drug conviction is the prohibition against possessing a firearm or ammunition. Even if the charge does not involve a firearm. Did you know that Iowa law tracks federal law when it comes to marijuana and firearms? A drug conviction within the past 365 days will trigger the prohibition. […]
If you consume cannabis flower, then you should be aware of common opioid overdose symptoms. Opioid overdose? But marijuana does not contain opioids?! True. There have been dozens of reports, however, from Connecticut since July 2021 involving patients who exhibited opioid overdose symptoms and required naloxone, a medication that rapidly reverses an overdose, for revival. […]
On September 16, 2021 Colin Murphy presented at the annual Iowa Association for Justice Criminal Law Seminar in Iowa City. The presentation focused on the current legal status of cannabis extracts. In particular, Colin demonstrated how defense attorneys can defend against marijuana charges involving extracts such as CBD, medical cannabidiol and delta-8 THC. The […]
“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 […]
