CV19 emergency: Iowa high court issues new rule
Courts in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, and Iowa, generally, must deal with the coronavirus outbreak. Here's how the Iowa Supreme Court and S
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Welcome to the David A. Cmelik Law PLC Blog Page
David A. Cmelik Law PLC
- Feb 27, 2020
- 3 min
Iowa appeals court: forensic interviewer may testify as expert without interviewing
In State v. Douglas Lindaman, Iowa appeals court holds forensic interviewer was allowed to testify as expert even though she did not conduct
David A. Cmelik Law PLC
- Jan 31, 2020
- 4 min
Iowa Supreme Court: DNR can patrol Lake Panorama
January 31, 2020—today, the Iowa Supreme Court decided State v. Meyers, holding DNR officers may enforce boating laws on Panorama, Macbride,
David A. Cmelik Law PLC
- Jan 25, 2020
- 2 min
Cedar Rapids Criminal Lawyer: No such thing as "pressing charges" in Iowa
Pressing charges isn't a recognized right in Iowa. The police decide who to arrest and the county attorney decides who to prosecute. Wit
David A. Cmelik Law PLC
- Sep 10, 2019
- 4 min
End pretextual stops for fairness and justice
Pretextual stops are minor violation or equipment stops for which there is an ulterior law enforcement reason. Pretextual stops shake confid
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
David A. Cmelik Law PLC
- Aug 9, 2019
- 2 min
Cedar Rapids Criminal Lawyer explains: Iowa approves new theft classifications based on value
The Iowa Legislature has approved, and the Governor has signed into law, a theft reclassification system that requires the State to prove higher values of theft when charging more serious offenses. For example, before July 1, 2019, the theft of anything with a value below $200 was a simple misdemeanor Theft in the Fifth Degree. Anything more than $200 allowed the prosecutor to seek indictable, serious misdemeanor theft charges against a defendant. That dividing line has been
David A. Cmelik Law PLC
- Jun 30, 2019
- 4 min
Iowa high court: fake, but legal, reasons still okay to justify traffic stops
The Iowa Supreme Court examined whether a motorist who breaks a traffic law may be stopped if the officer was motivated by "investigati
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
David A. Cmelik Law PLC
- Oct 19, 2018
- 3 min
Iowa Supreme Court orders new corporal punishment trial
The Iowa Supreme Court today in State v. Benson ordered a new trial in a corporal punishment case holding the trial judge’s instructions con
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