When law enforcements applies for a search warrant based on the odor of marijuana, they must describe to the magistrate how they know recognize the odor. Things like training, experience, etc., in drug interdiction are critically important to establish probable cause to issue the warrant. What happens when the application is silent on training and […]
Can I be FORCED to provide a breath sample to law enforcement if I am suspected of OWI? As criminal defense attorneys specializing in OWI defense, we often get questions about what to do if arrested for an OWI. Many of the questions surround what to do if asked for a sample from your body: […]
On November 28, 2022, the district court in Pocahontas County granted our application to dismiss a possession charge based on a violation of the one-year speedy trial provisions in Iowa Rule of Criminal Procedure 2.33. We were able to demonstrate that the state did not bring our client to trial within one year of his […]
The Iowa Department of Public Health began issuing digital medical cannabidiol registration cards for qualified patients and caregivers. They come complete with a QR code that may be scanned by law enforcement to verify the person’s status. The Department advises that “law enforcement representatives may request to temporarily handle your mobile device to verify your […]
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 […]
Boone County, Iowa. A client for GRL attorney Matt Lindholm (aka The Wolf), recently had his operating while intoxicated charge dismissed. The client was charged with OWI after law enforcement officers obtained a search warrant and took a sample of his blood for chemical testing. A motion to suppress was filed challenging the admissibility of […]
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 […]
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. […]
