Iowa City Criminal Defense Law Blog

When someone in Iowa City is convicted of a felony, they may expect to face a big fine and a lengthy sentence in prison or on probation. Although these are bad enough, there are other consequences of a felony conviction. These consequences can be as bad as the sentence. Felons have a criminal record that may make it difficult to get a job or a place to live. It can also make it impossible to legally own weapons.

This is because both the state of Iowa and the federal government outlaw the possession of firearms by those convicted of a felony. As we told you a few weeks ago, the state of Iowa prohibits the possession of firearms and many other kinds of weapons by convicted felons. The federal government has a similar prohibition. This can make it impossible for people to enjoy hobbies such as hunting or to do certain jobs that require employees to be armed.

When Iowans think of drug charges, they often conjure images of people who engage in drug possession and distribution. Charges related to these criminal offenses do make up a significant portion of drug crime prosecutions, but they are not the only drug offenses that prosecutors pursue. In fact, there are a plethora of drug charges that can be directed at every part of the drug consumption process, from manufacturing to transportation and use.

One criminal charge that can be levied against an individual is possession of drug paraphernalia. What is drug paraphernalia? Under Iowa law, this phrase has a broad meaning. It encompasses materials, products and equipment that are intentionally used to manufacture, use, test or enhance the effects of narcotics. Under this definition, scales, pill capsules, syringes, pipes and even plastic baggies can be considered drug paraphernalia if it can be shown that an individual was using those items in some sort of drug-related activity.

As DNA analysis technology progresses and as more people's DNA becomes available to investigators, more and more people will likely find themselves arrested and charged with crimes that happened years and even decades ago. Eastern Iowa residents have been reminded of this fact as prosecutors have filed criminal charges in a homicide case from nearly 40 years ago.

On December 19, officials in Cedar Rapids announced they had made an arrest in the killing of Michelle Martinko, whose body was found in her family's car at the Westdale Mall early in the morning of December 20, 1979. Police said that Martinko had been stabbed a minimum of eight times and had attempted to fight off her killer.

It is common in both national new reports and local news reports in Iowa to hear of people accused of the crime of "embezzlement." Usually it involves a person taking money that they are not entitled to take. But, how does embezzlement differ from theft? Our readers should know some specifics about the crime of embezzlement.

Accusations of embezzlement are usually made in an employment, corporate or non-profit setting. This is because embezzlement is defined as the theft of assets by a person in a position of responsibility or trust over the assets. The assets in question could be money, property or both. Embezzlement is usually classified as a white collar crime.