by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Iowa law defines the crime of child stealing in Iowa Code section 710.5 as the crime a person commits when, knowing that the person has no authority to do so, the person forcibly or fraudulently takes, decoys, or entices away any child with intent to
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear The crime of kidnapping in Iowa is defined by Iowa Code section 710.1 as the crime a person commits when the person either confines a person or removes a person from one place to another, knowing that
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear The right to a speedy trial is guaranteed by the United States Constitution and the Iowa Constitution. Iowa also has a more stringent court rule regarding the right to a speedy trial–Iowa Rule of Criminal Procedure 2.33. This rule requires that a defendant charged with an indictable offense (a serious misdemeanor up to a Class A felony) must be brought to trial within
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Iowa Code section 709A.1 makes it a crime for an adult to contribute to delinquency of a minor child. That section of the Iowa code
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear If a criminal defendant has a pending Class C or Class D felony charge in Iowa and has two prior felony convictions in Iowa or another state, the State may seek to impose the habitual offender enhancement on the pending felony charge. The habitual offender enhancement is recidivist statute designed to punish violators
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Iowa law defines the crime of voluntary manslaughter in Iowa Code sections 707.4 and involuntary manslaughter in 704.5 as an offense committed when a death of a person results, under certain circumstances.
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Murder is defined by Iowa law as the intentional killing of a person under certain conditions. Iowa Code section 707.2 and 707.3 define the crimes of Murder in the First Degree and Murder in the Second Degree in Iowa as follows:
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Iowa law bans the hosting of drug house gatherings (gatherings where controlled substances unlawfully used) in Iowa Code Section 124.407, which states that it is unlawful for any person to sponsor, promote, or aid, or assist in the sponsoring or promoting of a meeting, gathering, or assemblage with the knowledge or intent that a controlled substance be
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear A motion in arrest of judgment in Iowa is a motion made by the defendant that no judgment be entered on a finding, plea, or verdict of guilty. Typically, this type of motion is filed to allow a guilty plea to be withdrawn
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear When there are multiple defendants charged with the same crime in Iowa, they can be charged as co-defendants in the same Trial Information, which is the formal charging document. If co-defendants are charged in the same Trial Information, then they will have a joint trial where they are all tried at the same time. In some cases, it may be best for a defendant to have co-defendants charged separately with separate trials
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Iowa Code Section 716 defines the crime of criminal mischief as any damage, defacing, alteration, or destruction of property is criminal mischief when done intentionally by one who has no right to so act. In essence, criminal mischief in Iowa is what we more commonly call vandalism.
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Postconviction relief proceedings in Iowa are governed by Iowa Code Chapter 822. Postconviction relief proceedings are civil actions attacking a criminal conviction and/or sentencing
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear The crime of Trespass is defined by Iowa Code section 716.7 as the crime a person commits any of the following acts:
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Those convicted of a crime in Iowa have a right to appeal that conviction. Criminal Appeals in Iowa are governed by the Iowa Rules of Appellate Procedure and the Rules on Electronic Document Management System, which are the electronic filing of court documents. Because appeals are time sensitive and have specific requirements, it is highly advisable to contact an attorney immediately
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Under Iowa Code Section 123.47, it is unlawful for a person to give or sell alcohol to a minor, or for a minor to possess alcohol:
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear The crime of Unauthorized possession of offensive weapons is defined by Iowa Code section 724.3, which states that
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear The crime of Willful Injury is defined by Iowa Code section 708.4 as follows:
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Iowa Code section 719.1 defines the crime of Interference with Official Acts as follows:
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Fraudulent Practices is a crime in Iowa defined by Iowa Code section 714.8. There are a variety of actions that a person can take in Iowa that will result in the charge of Fraudulent Practices. Those actions are defined by Iowa law as follows.
by Attorney Eric D. Puryear Iowa law prohibits people who have been convicted of a felony, misdemeanor of domestic violence, who are subject to a protective order, or have a juvenile adjudication that would have been a conviction if they had been an adult from possessing firearms or ammunition, under Iowa Code section 724.26.