Every state sets the laws that govern drunk driving incidents. Sometimes the difference from one state to another may be a single word, but that word could be the one that turns the incident into an arrest. In Iowa, driving drunk may result in an OWI charge rather...
If you have received one or more past convictions for operating while intoxicated, any new OWI charges may result in increasingly severe penalties. From restrictions on your driving privileges to steep fines, jail time and a potential felony conviction, it is...
Burglary is a severe offense in Iowa. It applies to a broad spectrum of deeds and carries multiple options for punishment. If you have a burglary charge, you need to know what to expect. This article details the various punishments for different degrees of burglary in...
If you are facing drug-related charges, it is imperative that you understand the nature and consequences of these allegations. The Iowa legal code is comprehensive and clear in defining controlled substances, identifying illegal actions associated with them and...
Often, people use the terms "burglary" and "robbery" interchangeably when referring to theft of any kind. However, the two charges are not the same, and the alleged intent of the suspect, as well as his or her actions, distinguishes the two charges. In Iowa, both...
After an arrest, a criminal charge goes forward in an arraignment. A defendant will appear at a hearing, or legal counsel may be able to appear on his or her behalf. In the state of Iowa, it is common for arraignments to take place entirely in writing. Anyone facing...
In most cases, accidental deaths caused by traffic accidents are not considered crimes. However, the state may charge a driver who kills another person with vehicular homicide in some circumstances. When does an accidental death in an automobile accident become...
The Bill of Rights states that you have the right to privacy from police searches of your home. In general, Des Moines police must get a search warrant from a judge before they can search the interior of your home and the immediate surroundings. Over the years, courts...
The story of a case that’s before the Iowa Supreme Court begins in 1979 when police could not solve a murder case. Even years later, when modern technology enabled DNA to be extracted from blood left at the crime scene and then compared to DNA in government-run DNA...
It is a police officers' responsibility to protect and serve their communities and ensure that the public is safe. Despite their duties, it does not mean that police have the right to search your car whenever they want or without a valid reason. The fourth...