Colin Murphy
N/A
Licensed for 24 years
Law Degree
Awards
Primary Practice Area
DUI and DWI
Language
English
About
I focus primarily on defending those accused of possessing, delivering, cultivating or manufacturing marijuana and other narcotics. I also specialize in helping individuals recover property that has been unlawfully seized through civil forfeiture, which allows Iowa law enforcement agencies to profit from large amounts of cash, firearms, vehicles and other property taken from innocent persons. A significant part of my practice includes representing those charged with alcohol and drug-impaired offenses, ranging from public intoxication to OWI to vehicular homicide. Over the past three years, my cannabis law practice has grown to include counseling Iowa growers and businesses by providing legal planning, regulatory support, corporate guidance and compliance strategies to help navigate the rapidly evolving hemp and CBD space.Another practice area that continues to grow is the right to acquire, possess and carry in Iowa. I am a proud member of the USCCA, the premier concealed carry association in the United States, and strong advocate for the fundamental right to self defense. As a trial attorney, I've tried dozens of misdemeanor and felony cases to a jury and obtained dismissals of more than 100 other drug and OWI charges, including driver's licenses revocations, through successful pre-trial motions.I take a keen interest in developing and litigating issues in traffic stops and other search and seizure contexts to expand the rights of the accused. Most recently, my efforts to overturn a search warrant based on information gathered during warrantless nighttime trash rips led to a landmark Iowa Supreme Court decision in State v. Wright. The decision was the first to recognize the rejuventated trespass doctrine in Iowa. By finding an expectation of privacy in garbage, the Court overturned a police tactic responsible for untold numbers of convictions during the past four decades. The decision is based on Iowa Constitutional grounds under article 1, section 8.As trial counsel in State v. Pals, 805 N.W.2d 767 (Iowa 2011), I challenged the voluntariness of a detained driver's consent to search his vehicle under the Iowa Constitution. The Pals decision is now one of the seminal cases on the issue of warrantless consent searches. My knack for understanding and simply explaining complex scientific concepts such as infrared spectrophotometry in breath testing, headspace gas chromatography with flame ionization detection in blood and urine testing, statistical analysis and measurement uncertainty is well known throughout the defense bar. The same can be said for my work in exposing drug K9 "alerts" that were either false positives or otherwise cued by the handler. I am one of a few attorneys in the state who have successfully challenged a vehicle search based on these highly questionable "alerts."I am twice published in the area of OWI defense. In 2014, I co-authored the first edition one of the few practice-specific treatises in the state, Iowa OWI Defense: The Law and Practice, published by Lawyers & Judges Publishing Company. I also wrote a chapter focusing on the use of indepedent forensic investigations, including crash data and blood alcohol analysis, in Defending DUI Vehicular Homicide Cases, 2013 ed. by Aspatore Books. As an appellate lawyer, I have briefed and argued issues of constitutional and statutory importance before the Iowa Supreme Court and Iowa Court of Appeals. I recently won State v. Wright, 961 N.W.2d 396 (Iowa 2021), which ended the police tactic of searching garbage left at the curbside for collection without a warrant. In 2012, I also won Mitchell County v. Zimmerman, 810 N.W.2d 1 (Iowa 2012), in which a unanimous Iowa Supreme Court struck down a local road-protection ordinance as unconstitutional under the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.
Practices Areas
DUI and DWI
White Collar Crime
Language
English
Contact
Gourley, Rehkemper & Lindholm, PLC440 Fairway Drive, Suite 210West Des Moines, IA, 50266
Office: (855) 946-0886
Website: N/AReviews
In a society where privacy is in a perpetual state of decay, Colin has gone above and beyond what most lawyers have dreamt of accomplishing. He has changed the state's law in a way that benefits anyone that recognizes and appreciates the protections the 4th amendment gives us. His proven superior understanding and passion for defending the erosion of expectation of privacy sets him far ahead of all others. If you find yourself in a situation where your right to unreasonable search and seizure has been violated, look no further. You won't find anyone better than Colin Murphy.
Amazing people great to work with very friendly only law firm I’ll ever hire
Colin was able to get rid of my owi which was great because it was my second one.
We had never had any run-ins with the law so I was uneasy about everything associated with the possession charges I had. I did a Google search for Criminal Defense Attorneys and stumbled across Colin. I'm so glad I hired Colin to represent me. He was able to explain everything, step-by-step to me. I had a sense of shame associated with my charges but I never felt Colin judged me. Colin was very professional and was readily available to me via phone and email. I would recommend Colin to my friends and family.
I got a significant amount of cash seized by cerro gordo sherif's. Had a small amt of m.j (approx 3 grams). Cops tried saying that my cash was drug money for that reason. In all reality my best friend and I were going on a vacation of a lifetime!! Wasn't going to be cheap and I have no credit so I had cash instead. They charged both of us with possession even though I was driver and had claimed it from the very beginning. After approx a yr of court Colin got my best friends charges dropped and we both received our money back. Oh yeah, and we were going almost 30 over speed limit when we got pulled over and that charge was also dropped.
In a society where privacy is in a perpetual state of decay, Colin has gone above and beyond what most lawyers have dreamt of accomplishing. He has changed the state's law in a way that benefits anyone that recognizes and appreciates the protections the 4th amendment gives us. His proven superior understanding and passion for defending the erosion of expectation of privacy sets him far ahead of all others. If you find yourself in a situation where your right to unreasonable search and seizure has been violated, look no further. You won't find anyone better than Colin Murphy.
Amazing people great to work with very friendly only law firm I’ll ever hire
Colin was able to get rid of my owi which was great because it was my second one.
We had never had any run-ins with the law so I was uneasy about everything associated with the possession charges I had. I did a Google search for Criminal Defense Attorneys and stumbled across Colin. I'm so glad I hired Colin to represent me. He was able to explain everything, step-by-step to me. I had a sense of shame associated with my charges but I never felt Colin judged me. Colin was very professional and was readily available to me via phone and email. I would recommend Colin to my friends and family.
I got a significant amount of cash seized by cerro gordo sherif's. Had a small amt of m.j (approx 3 grams). Cops tried saying that my cash was drug money for that reason. In all reality my best friend and I were going on a vacation of a lifetime!! Wasn't going to be cheap and I have no credit so I had cash instead. They charged both of us with possession even though I was driver and had claimed it from the very beginning. After approx a yr of court Colin got my best friends charges dropped and we both received our money back. Oh yeah, and we were going almost 30 over speed limit when we got pulled over and that charge was also dropped.
In a society where privacy is in a perpetual state of decay, Colin has gone above and beyond what most lawyers have dreamt of accomplishing. He has changed the state's law in a way that benefits anyone that recognizes and appreciates the protections the 4th amendment gives us. His proven superior understanding and passion for defending the erosion of expectation of privacy sets him far ahead of all others. If you find yourself in a situation where your right to unreasonable search and seizure has been violated, look no further. You won't find anyone better than Colin Murphy.
Amazing people great to work with very friendly only law firm I’ll ever hire
Colin was able to get rid of my owi which was great because it was my second one.
We had never had any run-ins with the law so I was uneasy about everything associated with the possession charges I had. I did a Google search for Criminal Defense Attorneys and stumbled across Colin. I'm so glad I hired Colin to represent me. He was able to explain everything, step-by-step to me. I had a sense of shame associated with my charges but I never felt Colin judged me. Colin was very professional and was readily available to me via phone and email. I would recommend Colin to my friends and family.
I got a significant amount of cash seized by cerro gordo sherif's. Had a small amt of m.j (approx 3 grams). Cops tried saying that my cash was drug money for that reason. In all reality my best friend and I were going on a vacation of a lifetime!! Wasn't going to be cheap and I have no credit so I had cash instead. They charged both of us with possession even though I was driver and had claimed it from the very beginning. After approx a yr of court Colin got my best friends charges dropped and we both received our money back. Oh yeah, and we were going almost 30 over speed limit when we got pulled over and that charge was also dropped.