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The Iowa Legislature is reviewing a bill which would allow those convicted of Possession of Alcohol Under the Legal Age (PAULA) to apply to have their convictions expunged. The procedure would be nearly identical to the current law which allows defendants convicted of Public Intoxication to expunge their records. Those convicted of PAULA would be [...]

There are two ways to begin your contact with the court for an Iowa criminal charge, and both are called the Initial Appearance.  (Note, do not confuse this with the Preliminary Hearing, or even the Pretrial Conference, all are very different). The first way to have your Initial Appearance is by being summoned at a [...]

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. A criminal history creates a unique problem for some charged with a criminal offense in Iowa. Aside from the small exception for [...]