Iowa City Drug Busts: Secondary Charges
When a suspect is arrested in Iowa City for a drug-related charge, there are many related charges that the police or the prosecutor can pile on. The original charge would be possession of controlled substance, usually marijuana. This, of course, only requires that the suspect had in his possession (whether actual or constructive possession) a [...]
read moreProbation Violations and Deferred Judgments
I warn every client, multiple times, about the perils of violating probation on a deferred judgment. When the Court grants a deferred judgment, the defendant is making a promise to the Court not to violate the terms of probation. The Court becomes upset when this promise is broken. The terms of probation are explained on [...]
read moreThompson Law Office Wins Felony Jury Trial
On Tuesday, April 20, 2010, a Johnson County jury returned a verdict of Not Guilty for Mark Thompson’s criminal jury trial. The defendant was charged with Burglary in the Third Degree (a class D Felony). The state alleged that the defendant entered the downtown apartment of the victim without permission, left behind some clothing, stole [...]
read moreFake ID in Iowa City – Penalties
There are several different crimes that are associated with trying to get into a bar, or purchase alcohol while underage. The lowest-level ID-related crime is Misuse of Drivers License (belonging to another). This occurs when someone simply uses someone else’s ID in any fashion, representing it as their own. Note that it is not illegal [...]
read morePaula/Public Intoxication Expungment Bill Passes
On 3/19/10 Governor Culver signed HF 2233 into law, providing some relief for defendants convicted of PAULA offenses. In a nutshell, the new PAULA law adds a provision that allows defendants to expunge the charge from their records after a period of two years, provided that no additional convictions take place in that period. (There [...]
read moreCity One Step Closer to 21-Only
The Iowa City council has passed vote #2 of 3 in regard to passing a 21-and-older ordinance for the Iowa City bars. News from the latest meeting is that this current proposal could go into effect as early as June of this year. Another proposal is that the ordinance may be delayed until the public [...]
read moreCHeBA Hut Sandwich Shop Coming to Iowa City
CHeBA Hut is a marijuana-themed sandwich shop with locations in great college towns such as Boulder, Ft. Collins, Eugene and Tempe. This fall they plan to open a restaurant here in Iowa City. It’s great to see Iowa City on the same list as these other fun towns. I first found out about CHeBA Hut [...]
read moreCatch-22 of Simple Misdemeanors
When a subject is cited for a simple misdemeanor, the officer has discretion regarding arrest. For a public intoxication charge, the officer will usually (if not always) arrest the subject. For a simple misdemeanor traffic violation, the officer will usually not arrest. For a Theft 5th degree charge, the officer may go either way. The problem [...]
read moreCity Council to Address 21-only in Iowa City Bars
Recently, the Iowa City City Council has chosen to revisit the issue as to whether those under 21 should be allowed inside Iowa City bars during the nighttime hours. Currently, the age restriction is 19 years. Those under 19 who are in an Iowa City bar past 10:00 p.m. can be cited with a ticket [...]
read moreKeeping Charges off Your Record
According to a new Wall Street Journal article, and from the experiences I have seen working out of my law office, people are trying more and more to expunge, or erase their criminal histories. …
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