Mark Thompson, Attorney at Law, is
located in Iowa City, Iowa. We offer free
consultations for:
located in Iowa City, Iowa. We offer free
consultations for:
- OWI / DUI
- Drug Charges
- Alcohol-Related Charges
 |  |  |  |  |  |
Mark Thompson, Attorney at Law
220 Lafayette Street
Suite 120
Iowa City, IA 52240
ph: (319) 354-1630
fax: (319) 887-2537
mark@thompsonjustice.com
The information contained in this website is not
intended to be legal advice. With any criminal
matter, you should seek the advice of a lawyer
practicing in criminal defense. The ISBA logo is
property of the Iowa State Bar Association.
Copyright, Mark Thompson, Attorney at Law, All
Rights Reserved.
intended to be legal advice. With any criminal
matter, you should seek the advice of a lawyer
practicing in criminal defense. The ISBA logo is
property of the Iowa State Bar Association.
Copyright, Mark Thompson, Attorney at Law, All
Rights Reserved.
Mark Thompson, Attorney at Law, is a
member of the Iowa State Bar Association
member of the Iowa State Bar Association
Deferred Judgments
Many clients have specific future
plans and do not want criminal
charges clouding their records.
Where appropriate, our lawyers can
seek a deferred judgment, which is a
method of pleading guilty to a criminal
charge that allows a defendant to
have the charges expunged from his
record after a successful period of
probation.
Convenient Representation
We have helped many out-of-the-area
clients, from Illinois, Minnesota
Wisconsin, Nebraska, South Dakota,
Colorado also as far away as
California and Massachusetts. We
have helped international clients from
Japan, The Netherlands, and the
United Kingdom. We will focus on
minimizing the hassle of a criminal
charge by limiting the number of
required trips back to Iowa City. Many
aspects of the case can be handled
by mail, phone, email or fax.
Students Welcome
Many of the cases that our lawyers
handle deal with the charges that
students encounter during their
enrollment at the University of Iowa, or
even while visiting the University for
the weekend. In these cases our
lawyers will focus on limiting the
impactthat these charges can have
on astudent's future by pursing
options such as deferred judgments
and dismissals.
Iowa Lawyer Blog
Please look at our Criminal Case
Information page for answers to
common legal procedure questions.
If you do not find your answers there,
Mr. Thompson authors an Iowa Law
Blog. This blog has been referenced
by local news media, and has been
linked by law blogs in Des Moines
and Chicago.
Johnson County Drug
Treatment Court
Mr. Thompson has been the
substitute defense attorney for the
Johnson County Drug Treatment
Court on several occasions. This is
a panel consisting of a District Court
Judge, a County Attorney, and
representatives from the Department
of Corrections, local mental health
and substance abuse agencies. This
panel deals with specific felony-level
drug offenders.
Media Attention
Professional Memberships
and Activities
Seminars and Training
Many clients have specific future
plans and do not want criminal
charges clouding their records.
Where appropriate, our lawyers can
seek a deferred judgment, which is a
method of pleading guilty to a criminal
charge that allows a defendant to
have the charges expunged from his
record after a successful period of
probation.
Convenient Representation
We have helped many out-of-the-area
clients, from Illinois, Minnesota
Wisconsin, Nebraska, South Dakota,
Colorado also as far away as
California and Massachusetts. We
have helped international clients from
Japan, The Netherlands, and the
United Kingdom. We will focus on
minimizing the hassle of a criminal
charge by limiting the number of
required trips back to Iowa City. Many
aspects of the case can be handled
by mail, phone, email or fax.
Students Welcome
Many of the cases that our lawyers
handle deal with the charges that
students encounter during their
enrollment at the University of Iowa, or
even while visiting the University for
the weekend. In these cases our
lawyers will focus on limiting the
impactthat these charges can have
on astudent's future by pursing
options such as deferred judgments
and dismissals.
Iowa Lawyer Blog
Please look at our Criminal Case
Information page for answers to
common legal procedure questions.
If you do not find your answers there,
Mr. Thompson authors an Iowa Law
Blog. This blog has been referenced
by local news media, and has been
linked by law blogs in Des Moines
and Chicago.
Johnson County Drug
Treatment Court
Mr. Thompson has been the
substitute defense attorney for the
Johnson County Drug Treatment
Court on several occasions. This is
a panel consisting of a District Court
Judge, a County Attorney, and
representatives from the Department
of Corrections, local mental health
and substance abuse agencies. This
panel deals with specific felony-level
drug offenders.
Media Attention
- October 2009, Mr. Thompson
was interviewed but KRUI
regarding the surge in crime on
Iowa City's southeast side.
- October 2009, Mr. Thompson
was Interviewed by The Daily
Iowan regarding a recent suit
in Des Moines regarding
search and seizure of drugs in
a criminal case.
- August 2009, Mr. Thompson's
Criminal Law Blog was quoted
in The Burlington Hawk Eye as
a source regarding a Motion in
Arrest of Judgment.
- April 2009, Mr. Thompson was
interviewed by Daily Iowan TV
regarding the role of the
Johnson County Drug
Treatment Court.
- October 2008, Mr. Thompson
was interviewed by The Daily
Iowan regarding a recent jury
study, which considering giving
jurors more input in the trial
process.
- January 2007, Mr. Thompson
was featured on the front page
of The Cedar Rapids Gazette
for his work on court-appointed
criminal and juvenile cases.
The article was later picked up
by The Quad-Cities Times and
various smaller local
newspapers.
Professional Memberships
and Activities
- Member - Iowa State Bar
Association, Criminal Law
Division
- Member - Iowa Trial Lawyers
Association/Iowa Association
for Justice, Criminal Law
Section
- Member - American Inn of
Court
- Scoring Judge - 2005, 2006
National Collegiate Mock Trial
Tournament Finals, 2007,
2009 U of I Stephenson
Competition
- Former Member - American
Bar Association Criminal
Justice Section
- Former Member - Association
of Trial Lawyers of America
- Member - Iowa State Bar
Association, YLD - Mock Trial
Committee
- Admitted to Practice in all Iowa
State Courts
Seminars and Training
- Iowa Association for Justice
Criminal Law Seminar,
Riverside, Iowa 2009
- Iowa State Bar Association
Criminal Law Seminar, Des
Moines, Iowa, 2009
- ISBA Criminal Law Seminar,
Des Moines, Iowa 2008
- Iowa Trial Lawyers Association
22nd Annual Criminal Law
Seminar, Iowa City, Iowa 2008
- ITLA 21st Annual Criminal Law
Seminar, Iowa City, Iowa 2007
- ISBA Nuts & Bolts Seminar,
Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 2007
- Iowa Public Defender Criminal
Law Seminar, Iowa City, Iowa
2006
- ISBA Spanish for Lawyers and
Legal Professionals, Cedar
Rapids, 2006
- ISBA Annual Meeting, Des
Moines, Iowa, 2005
Please Call (319) 354-1630
Our lawyers offer free consultations, at no obligation, to
anyone with DUI / OWI, drug or alcohol-related charges
pending in the Iowa City or Eastern Iowa area.
Consultations can take place in office or by telephone.
Our Practice
We are a law firm located in Iowa City, Iowa, practicing
primarily in criminal law. Our lawyers offer free
consultations for all OWI (DWI / DUI / drunk driving),
alcohol-related, and drug possession charges pending
in the eastern Iowa area. This includes Iowa City and
the University of Iowa, Cedar Rapids, Washington,
Dubuque, and the counties of Johnson, Linn,
Washington, Cedar, Iowa, Dubuque, Bremer and
Poweshiek.
Roughly 95% of our private practice is devoted to
criminal law, with the remainder consisting of juvenile
delinquency cases. In the State of Iowa, lawyers are
held to strict standards regarding cases worked and
legal seminars attended before they may advertise
that they “practice primarily” in criminal law. Mr.
Thompson has continually exceeded all of these
standards.
Our lawyers handle both the criminal court and the
Iowa DOT aspects of OWI charges. This is important
because OWI cases have penalties that go beyond the
courthouse. The DOT will place sanctions upon a
suspected OWI driver within 10 days of the date of the
violation, whereas the criminal court will usually take
months. Therefore, it is important to contact a lawyer
within the first 10 days following an OWI charge.
Numerous alcohol-related offenses including
possession of fake ID’s, public intoxication, possession
of alcohol under legal age and bootlegging are
common in Iowa City and are handled by our lawyers.
Our lawyers have extensive experience with cases
involving possession of controlled substances. Most
frequently these cases involve marijuana or
prescription drugs. These charges can be brought as
either possession charges, or intent to deliver
charges. Both levels of the charge are very serious
and will be handled diligently to ensure the client
receives the best possible outcome.
We are located in Iowa City, within walking distance of
both the University of Iowa campus and the Johnson
County Courthouse. Mr. Thompson knows and has
worked with each prosecuting attorney that may be
assigned to the case, and he has experience with the
local judges as well. This will allow us to give you
accurate expectations for court dates and final
outcomes.
For students in particular, the most important aspect of
a criminal charge is the lasting penalty on a criminal
record. We are aware of the best way to structure a
plea to reduce the impact on a criminal history, and will
employ these tactics to reduce future harm as much as
possible.
Our lawyers have had many successful recent
outcomes for all types of criminal cases, including OWI
and drug possession cases. We have obtained
numerous dismissals, acquittals and deferred
judgments for our clients.
Recent Notable Casework
SRCR82909, Cedar Rapids, Linn County
Dismissal of All Charges
The Client was charged with Driving Under
Revocation, a serious misdemeanor, after
receiving an OWI charge in Iowa City. The Iowa
Department of Transportation made a clerical error
regarding the status of the Client's license and proper
notification was never processed. After an explanation
of the situation, and production of evidence from the
DOT, the charges were dismissed.
SRCR059349, Iowa City, Johnson County
Dismissal of All Charges
The Client was brought into Iowa City court after
realizing that some six-year-old charges were never
finalized. After the warrant was satisfied, the case was
restarted and headed for jury trial. Mr. Thompson was
able to get the case dismissed at final pretrial due to
problems with the State's evidence.
OWCR084338, Iowa City, Johnson County
OWI / DUI Arrest Leads to Dismissal
Mr. Thompson filed a suppression motion based on a
questionable traffic stop for a loud muffler. The lawyer
for the state resisted. At the hearing, the state forced
to dismiss all charges.
FECR005651, Washington County
Not Guilty Jury Verdict
The Defendant was accused of driving recklessly with
passengers in his car. The case was taken to trial by
jury and Mr. Thompson won an acquittal.
SMSM073346, Iowa City, Johnson County
Drug Paraphernalia Charges Dismissed After
Motion to Suppress Evidence
A University Heights police officer filed drug
paraphernalia charges following a stop for a traffic
violation. A motion to suppress was filed by Mr.
Thompson, which was resisted by the State's lawyer.
A hearing was held and the police video was reviewed.
Our motion was granted and the charge was
dismissed, over the opposing lawyer's objection.
SRCR082947, Iowa City, Johnson County
Marijuana Possession Charges Dismissed
A Iowa State Trooper conducted a traffic stop on I-80
for a speeding violation. The passenger was
questioned and admitted to possessing a few
marijuana joints. A possession of controlled
substances charge was filed. Mr. Thompson worked
with the State's lawyer to form a plea where the
defendant was required to provide a clean drug test
and obtain a substance abuse evaluation and
treatment, and the charges were dismissed.
SRCR082610, Iowa City, Johnson County
Drug Possession Charges Dropped
In a situation similar to the above, an Iowa City police
officer conducted a traffic stop for a stop sign
violation. A consent search of the car was conducted,
which revealed a small amount of marijuana. The
defendant agreed to a plea bargain equivalent to the
above case. (Note that in both of these cases there
was no allegation that the driver was under the
influence of drugs or alcohol).
OWCR083923, Iowa City, Johnson County
OWI / DUI Case Dismissed Despite BAC Test
Failure
An OWI / DUI charge was filed following a traffic stop
for an alleged littering violation in University Heights.
After a discussion between Mr. Thompson and the
assistant county attorney, the case was dismissed.
OWCR081978, Iowa City, Johnson County
OWI / DUI Case Pleaded Down to Public
Intoxication
The defendant was charged with OWI / DUI while
sleeping in his car with the ignition on. Mr. Thompson
filed a motion to suppress based on the officer's search
and seizure of the defendant without reasonable
suspicion. Although the motion was defeated, our
attorney successfully worked with the state's lawyer to
gain a plea to public intoxication in lieu of an OWI / DUI
conviction.
SRIN007880, Washington County
Jury Verdict of Not Guilty
The elderly Client was charged with assault causing
injury during a scuffle with a neighbor over rural
property lines. After taking depositions, the State's
lawyer agreed to lower the charge to a simple
misdemeanor. Despite this concession, Mr. Thompson
took the case to trial. The jury delivered verdict of not
guilty.
SRIN007818, Washington County
Drug Possession Charges Dismissed After
Successful Motion to Suppress
The Client was charged with three counts of
possession of controlled substance, 3rd offense,
habitual offender, with a maximum period of
incarceration of 45 years. After reviewing the State's
evidence, our attorney filed a Motion to Suppress
based on the state trooper's scope of search and
unreasonable period of detainment. After a hearing on
these issues, the evidence was excluded and the
charges were dismissed.
SMSM037798, Washington County
Charges Dismissed on Morning of Trial
Client was charged with simple assault, the case
proceeded to jury trial, where Mr. Thompson secured a
dismissal.
AGCR072730, Iowa City, Johnson County
More Charges Dismissed on Morning of Trial
Defendant was charged with aggravated assault and
the case was set for jury trial. Our lawyer gained a
dismissal of the charge on the morning of trial, after
meeting with the State's lawyer.
AGIN007502, Washington County
Bench Trial with Not Guilty Verdict and Dismissal
of Serious Charges
Client was charged with an aggravated level
assault, facing up to two years in jail. After taking
depositions, these charges were dropped, but a related
simple assault charge remained. Mr. Thompson took
that case to bench trial and won an acquittal.
Our lawyers offer free consultations, at no obligation, to
anyone with DUI / OWI, drug or alcohol-related charges
pending in the Iowa City or Eastern Iowa area.
Consultations can take place in office or by telephone.
Our Practice
We are a law firm located in Iowa City, Iowa, practicing
primarily in criminal law. Our lawyers offer free
consultations for all OWI (DWI / DUI / drunk driving),
alcohol-related, and drug possession charges pending
in the eastern Iowa area. This includes Iowa City and
the University of Iowa, Cedar Rapids, Washington,
Dubuque, and the counties of Johnson, Linn,
Washington, Cedar, Iowa, Dubuque, Bremer and
Poweshiek.
Roughly 95% of our private practice is devoted to
criminal law, with the remainder consisting of juvenile
delinquency cases. In the State of Iowa, lawyers are
held to strict standards regarding cases worked and
legal seminars attended before they may advertise
that they “practice primarily” in criminal law. Mr.
Thompson has continually exceeded all of these
standards.
Our lawyers handle both the criminal court and the
Iowa DOT aspects of OWI charges. This is important
because OWI cases have penalties that go beyond the
courthouse. The DOT will place sanctions upon a
suspected OWI driver within 10 days of the date of the
violation, whereas the criminal court will usually take
months. Therefore, it is important to contact a lawyer
within the first 10 days following an OWI charge.
Numerous alcohol-related offenses including
possession of fake ID’s, public intoxication, possession
of alcohol under legal age and bootlegging are
common in Iowa City and are handled by our lawyers.
Our lawyers have extensive experience with cases
involving possession of controlled substances. Most
frequently these cases involve marijuana or
prescription drugs. These charges can be brought as
either possession charges, or intent to deliver
charges. Both levels of the charge are very serious
and will be handled diligently to ensure the client
receives the best possible outcome.
We are located in Iowa City, within walking distance of
both the University of Iowa campus and the Johnson
County Courthouse. Mr. Thompson knows and has
worked with each prosecuting attorney that may be
assigned to the case, and he has experience with the
local judges as well. This will allow us to give you
accurate expectations for court dates and final
outcomes.
For students in particular, the most important aspect of
a criminal charge is the lasting penalty on a criminal
record. We are aware of the best way to structure a
plea to reduce the impact on a criminal history, and will
employ these tactics to reduce future harm as much as
possible.
Our lawyers have had many successful recent
outcomes for all types of criminal cases, including OWI
and drug possession cases. We have obtained
numerous dismissals, acquittals and deferred
judgments for our clients.
Recent Notable Casework
SRCR82909, Cedar Rapids, Linn County
Dismissal of All Charges
The Client was charged with Driving Under
Revocation, a serious misdemeanor, after
receiving an OWI charge in Iowa City. The Iowa
Department of Transportation made a clerical error
regarding the status of the Client's license and proper
notification was never processed. After an explanation
of the situation, and production of evidence from the
DOT, the charges were dismissed.
SRCR059349, Iowa City, Johnson County
Dismissal of All Charges
The Client was brought into Iowa City court after
realizing that some six-year-old charges were never
finalized. After the warrant was satisfied, the case was
restarted and headed for jury trial. Mr. Thompson was
able to get the case dismissed at final pretrial due to
problems with the State's evidence.
OWCR084338, Iowa City, Johnson County
OWI / DUI Arrest Leads to Dismissal
Mr. Thompson filed a suppression motion based on a
questionable traffic stop for a loud muffler. The lawyer
for the state resisted. At the hearing, the state forced
to dismiss all charges.
FECR005651, Washington County
Not Guilty Jury Verdict
The Defendant was accused of driving recklessly with
passengers in his car. The case was taken to trial by
jury and Mr. Thompson won an acquittal.
SMSM073346, Iowa City, Johnson County
Drug Paraphernalia Charges Dismissed After
Motion to Suppress Evidence
A University Heights police officer filed drug
paraphernalia charges following a stop for a traffic
violation. A motion to suppress was filed by Mr.
Thompson, which was resisted by the State's lawyer.
A hearing was held and the police video was reviewed.
Our motion was granted and the charge was
dismissed, over the opposing lawyer's objection.
SRCR082947, Iowa City, Johnson County
Marijuana Possession Charges Dismissed
A Iowa State Trooper conducted a traffic stop on I-80
for a speeding violation. The passenger was
questioned and admitted to possessing a few
marijuana joints. A possession of controlled
substances charge was filed. Mr. Thompson worked
with the State's lawyer to form a plea where the
defendant was required to provide a clean drug test
and obtain a substance abuse evaluation and
treatment, and the charges were dismissed.
SRCR082610, Iowa City, Johnson County
Drug Possession Charges Dropped
In a situation similar to the above, an Iowa City police
officer conducted a traffic stop for a stop sign
violation. A consent search of the car was conducted,
which revealed a small amount of marijuana. The
defendant agreed to a plea bargain equivalent to the
above case. (Note that in both of these cases there
was no allegation that the driver was under the
influence of drugs or alcohol).
OWCR083923, Iowa City, Johnson County
OWI / DUI Case Dismissed Despite BAC Test
Failure
An OWI / DUI charge was filed following a traffic stop
for an alleged littering violation in University Heights.
After a discussion between Mr. Thompson and the
assistant county attorney, the case was dismissed.
OWCR081978, Iowa City, Johnson County
OWI / DUI Case Pleaded Down to Public
Intoxication
The defendant was charged with OWI / DUI while
sleeping in his car with the ignition on. Mr. Thompson
filed a motion to suppress based on the officer's search
and seizure of the defendant without reasonable
suspicion. Although the motion was defeated, our
attorney successfully worked with the state's lawyer to
gain a plea to public intoxication in lieu of an OWI / DUI
conviction.
SRIN007880, Washington County
Jury Verdict of Not Guilty
The elderly Client was charged with assault causing
injury during a scuffle with a neighbor over rural
property lines. After taking depositions, the State's
lawyer agreed to lower the charge to a simple
misdemeanor. Despite this concession, Mr. Thompson
took the case to trial. The jury delivered verdict of not
guilty.
SRIN007818, Washington County
Drug Possession Charges Dismissed After
Successful Motion to Suppress
The Client was charged with three counts of
possession of controlled substance, 3rd offense,
habitual offender, with a maximum period of
incarceration of 45 years. After reviewing the State's
evidence, our attorney filed a Motion to Suppress
based on the state trooper's scope of search and
unreasonable period of detainment. After a hearing on
these issues, the evidence was excluded and the
charges were dismissed.
SMSM037798, Washington County
Charges Dismissed on Morning of Trial
Client was charged with simple assault, the case
proceeded to jury trial, where Mr. Thompson secured a
dismissal.
AGCR072730, Iowa City, Johnson County
More Charges Dismissed on Morning of Trial
Defendant was charged with aggravated assault and
the case was set for jury trial. Our lawyer gained a
dismissal of the charge on the morning of trial, after
meeting with the State's lawyer.
AGIN007502, Washington County
Bench Trial with Not Guilty Verdict and Dismissal
of Serious Charges
Client was charged with an aggravated level
assault, facing up to two years in jail. After taking
depositions, these charges were dropped, but a related
simple assault charge remained. Mr. Thompson took
that case to bench trial and won an acquittal.