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Some, not all, cell phone tower data testimony requires experts

David A. Cmelik Law PLC

Dec 21, 2020
4 min

Some, not all, cell phone tower data testimony requires experts

The Iowa Supreme Court examined this month whether a nonexpert police officer can offer some cell phone data testimony.

Iowa high court orders new criminal trial, orders victim suicide records

David A. Cmelik Law PLC

Dec 11, 2020
4 min

Iowa high court orders new criminal trial, orders victim suicide records

December 11, 2020—the Iowa Supreme Court decided State of Iowa v. Fontae Cole Buelow today, holding that an alleged murder victim’s menta...

Court: police must clarify independent test right only if breath re-test denied

David A. Cmelik Law PLC

Nov 27, 2020
4 min

Court: police must clarify independent test right only if breath re-test denied

Iowa high court rules police must clarify an independent test right only if they deny an imprecise request for a retest

Iowa Supreme Court: deferred judgment revocations subject to appeal

David A. Cmelik Law PLC

Nov 6, 2020
2 min

Iowa Supreme Court: deferred judgment revocations subject to appeal

November 6, 2020 - In State v. Ashley Thompson, the Iowa Supreme Court reversed a criminal conviction for child neglect entered upon revo...

Iowa high court: vehicular homicide defendant cannot blame child seat

David A. Cmelik Law PLC

Nov 1, 2020
3 min

Iowa high court: vehicular homicide defendant cannot blame child seat

In State v. Derrick Earl Johnson, Justice McDermott, writing for the court, examined whether a drunk driving homicide trial court abused ...

David A. Cmelik Law PLC

Sep 12, 2020
3 min

Poised to strike: shovel can be dangerous weapon says Iowa court

An Iowa Court of Appeals panel has decided that holding a shovel, “poised to strike,” is indeed sufficient evidence to support a guilty v...

Iowa appeals court: witness tampering forfeits right to confront accuser

David A. Cmelik Law PLC

Aug 6, 2020
4 min

Iowa appeals court: witness tampering forfeits right to confront accuser

The Iowa Court of Appeals held today that defendant who tampers with witness cannot raise confrontation clause objection

Cedar Rapids Criminal Lawyer: Iowa high court reverses intoxicated firearms conviction

David A. Cmelik Law PLC

Jun 13, 2020
4 min

Cedar Rapids Criminal Lawyer: Iowa high court reverses intoxicated firearms conviction

Iowa high court reverses jury conviction for constructive possession of firearm in carry-while-intox case

Iowa Supreme Court tie-vote upholds dismissal tax

David A. Cmelik Law PLC

May 8, 2020
3 min

Iowa Supreme Court tie-vote upholds dismissal tax

By operation of tie vote, the Iowa Supreme Court upheld a dismissal tax to pay for a defendant's public defender when her case was dismissed

US Supreme Court: 6th Amendment requires unanimous criminal verdicts

David A. Cmelik Law PLC

Apr 24, 2020
3 min

US Supreme Court: 6th Amendment requires unanimous criminal verdicts

US Supreme Court overturns non-unanimous jury verdicts finding they violate 6th Amendment.

Iowa Supreme Court orders review of child accuser's mental health records

David A. Cmelik Law PLC

Jan 24, 2020
2 min

Iowa Supreme Court orders review of child accuser's mental health records

Iowa Supreme Court today decided State v. Richard Leedom, reversing trial judge's denial of a judge-only review of child's mental re

Iowa high court upholds domestic abuse conviction

David A. Cmelik Law PLC

Jan 23, 2020
3 min

Iowa high court upholds domestic abuse conviction

The defendant felt strongly the court should include the requirement that the government disprove self-defense in the primary instruction on

David A. Cmelik Law PLC

Sep 10, 2019
2 min

Iowa high court: redo restitution

September 6, 2019— In State v. Moore, the Iowa Supreme Court again reversed and remanded a criminal conviction for resentencing based on res

Iowa Supreme Court: net zero burglary sentence change, but redo restitution

David A. Cmelik Law PLC

May 3, 2019
3 min

Iowa Supreme Court: net zero burglary sentence change, but redo restitution

Mosley case stands for proposition that Burglary First in Iowa merges with assault causing bodily injury when defendant is charged with bodi

Iowa Supreme Court affirms heroin death conviction

David A. Cmelik Law PLC

Mar 7, 2019
3 min

Iowa Supreme Court affirms heroin death conviction

After an Iowa jury convicted defendant of voluntary manslaughter and delivery of a controlled substance in heroin death, he appealed on doub

Iowa appeals panel affirms police officer's jury conviction for on the job sex abuse

David A. Cmelik Law PLC

Nov 30, 2018
2 min

Iowa appeals panel affirms police officer's jury conviction for on the job sex abuse

In State v. Tovar, a three judge panel of the Iowa Court of Appeals held evidence was sufficient for jury to convict a police officer for on

Supreme Court rejects unenforceable restitution award

David A. Cmelik Law PLC

Nov 29, 2018
3 min

Supreme Court rejects unenforceable restitution award

Iowa Supreme Court overturns punitive restitution award for stolen paperback study materials from truck driving school.

High Court: Iowa DOT officers cannot make "citizen's arrest"

David A. Cmelik Law PLC

Oct 30, 2018
3 min

High Court: Iowa DOT officers cannot make "citizen's arrest"

State's argument that DOT vehicle enforcement officers could, before amendment to statute, conduct traffic stops and make arrests falls

Appeals court: robbery codefendant finger pointing + a little corroboration = conviction

David A. Cmelik Law PLC

Oct 27, 2018
2 min

Appeals court: robbery codefendant finger pointing + a little corroboration = conviction

Iowa Court of Appeals affirms conviction for robbing and shooting fast food delivery driver with BB gun. Codefendant's told police defen

Iowa Supreme Court overturns 3X habitual offender drunk driver sentence calling it illegal

David A. Cmelik Law PLC

Oct 22, 2018
2 min

Iowa Supreme Court overturns 3X habitual offender drunk driver sentence calling it illegal

In Noll, Iowa Supreme Court reverses 3X third offender OWI sentence reserved for habitual felons holding habitual felon statute does not app

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