"You have nothing to fear if you're not going to be a criminal," said a spokesperson for the Bensalem, Pennsylvania police.Bensalem is one of a growing number of police departments that have adopted Rapid DNA technology, a DNA sequencing machine that officers refer to...
Month: January 2019
Supreme Court to decide if states’ implied consent laws are legal
The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to take up a case that could have an important impact on Iowa law. At issue is whether police need a warrant before drawing the blood of an unconscious suspect in order to determine his level of intoxication.The case before the court...
Do you have to perform a chemical sobriety test in Iowa?
If you are pulled over in Iowa under the suspicion of drunk driving, do you have to take a breathalyzer test? Unless you know your legal options ahead of time, you may accidentally hurt your case. What does the law say?It is illegal to drive in all 50 states if...
Ballistics database being promoted despite problematic science
The idea that ballistics -- marks made on bullets and casings by the gun they are expelled from -- can be relied upon as evidence is something most of us are familiar with. We've seen it on the CSI shows. In order to be useful evidence, a ballistics test would...
Can you be arrested for driving while taking prescription drugs?
Driving while under the influence of drugs can be just as dangerous as drunk driving. In fact, if you are pulled over in Iowa and are found to have any amount of controlled or illegal substance in your bloodstream or urine, you can be charged with OWI. Different drugs...
Supreme Court: For ACCA, burglary includes theft from vehicles
For the purposes of the federal Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA), burglary is considered a violent felony. When someone has two or more violent felony convictions, whether state or federal crimes, they may encounter the ACCA if they are then convicted federally of...
