When someone is charged with a crime, one question that is not always obvious is "What crime are the charged with?" Take, for instance, the recent arrest of the Mayor of Fairfax, Virginia. He was involved with a transaction at a hotel where he gave methamphetamine to...
Protecting Your Rights Throughout Eastern Iowa Since 1981
Year: 2016
Iowa Democratic Party drug stance: bound to turn some heads
"[P]utting cocaine back in Coca-Cola." Such a reference was bound to crop up regarding an official platform position announced recently by the Iowa Democratic Party, and party principals have been quick to address it and put things into a proper context. "No one is...
Progressively strong tailwinds propelling criminal law reforms
The winds of change are blowing, with their power being firmly in evidence in the realm of criminal justice reforms. Indeed, the thrust for reform -- especially in the area of federal criminal law sentencing and in the federal context -- is manifest and growing. That...
Synthetic drugs can lead to all too real prison sentences
Drug policy in the U.S. is sometimes confusing. Drugs can be assigned to the various schedules of the federal drug classification depending on the whim of members of congress. Drug classification may not always make sense, with both Marijuana and Heroin being...
Smile and say “cheese” for your ticket!
In a somewhat unusual move, the Iowa Supreme Court has accepted a case involving a traffic violation and a $75 fine. While this seems like a far cry from the often momentous issues that the highest court of the state typically deals with, it raises questions that may...
Will you take the fall in a drug case?
The FBI is currently in the process of assembling a very large drug prosecution, and with the most recent set of indictments filed in Cedar Rapids, the number of individuals charged in Operation Ice Pirates has risen to 20. The investigation into the alleged meth ring...
A move in the right direction for Iowa drug sentences
With the signing of a bill by Iowa's governor, changes in the state's drug sentencing laws will go into effect on July 1 for some non-violent drug offenders. The bill is seen by many as a good start to returning a more reasonable perspective on criminal enforcement of...
Iowa legislature reduces drug sentences
Criminal justice reform is very difficult. This session, the Iowa legislature has passed the first "significant" sentencing reform in years. The changes to the sentencing laws will allow some drug offenders to be paroled after serving half their term, allowing the...
Drug bust occurs at alderman’s home
Illegal drugs are pervasive in our society. Sometimes they come up in contexts that are unexpected. In Davenport, an alderman was shocked to find a man who lived in his home was recently arrested for allegedly dealing methamphetamine. The alderman was not accused of...
What is an infamous crime?
The criminal justice system contains many disincentives to commit a crime. There is the potential embarrassment with being arrested by the police, spending time in jail, obtaining bail, going through a trial or plea bargain, and if convicted, spending additional time...