Under current Iowa law, a person found in possession of a marijuana joint can be sentenced to up to six months in jail. That may be in addition to a $1,000 fine for a first offense. However, Senate File 432 is the most recent effort to relax penalties for first...
Month: February 2018
Gun possession leads to 15-year prison sentence for Iowa man
A 48-year-old man from Rockford has learned that not following proper firearm safety protocols can have severe consequences. The man was sentenced to 15 years in a federal prison on Feb. 12 on drug trafficking and firearms charges, but police only became aware of his...
Car accidents rise on annual cannabis holiday
Drivers in Iowa may be concerned about the dangers posed on the roadways by drunk and distracted drivers. While the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol are well-known, there are also dangers to using other kinds of drugs before getting behind the wheel....
Man facing array drug charges in different courts
A parolee arrested in Iowa is facing a series of drug charges, including distribution of heroin, possession of marijuana and possession of hydrocodone. While he was arrested by police in Bettendorf in October 2017, he also has criminal cases pending on drug charges in...
Reasonable suspicion and probable cause in DUI stops
When an officer pulls over a driver, he or she must have reasonable suspicion that the driver is committing a crime. If the officer violates this standard, the traffic stop may not hold up in court, even if the stop resulted in criminal charges, like a DUI. Similarly,...
Five face methamphetamine-related drug charges
Five people are facing drug charges in Iowa related to the distribution of methamphetamine. Three of the men are from Iowa, and one is from Missouri.On Nov. 30, investigators stopped one of the men when he was allegedly on his way to make a sale. At that time,...