Mark Thompson is a lawyer located in
Iowa City, Iowa, practicing primarily in
Criminal Law / Criminal Defense.
This includes:
The Criminal Case Process
A lawyer practicing in criminal defense can greatly
assist a defendant in the criminal case process. The
procedure has various stages, from arrest or citation,
to trial and sentencing. A lawyer will fully explain this
process, and answer any questions a defendant may
have regarding his next court date.
Most criminal cases begin with an encounter with
police officers. The steps that are taken during
these encounters can greatly determine whether a
suspect is charged with a crime.
Follow this link for a general idea of what you should
do if stopped by the police.
If someone is arrested, he is taken to jail and
booked, and then becomes a defendant in a criminal
case.
"Without unnecessary delay" the defendant is
granted an Initial Appearance before a judge or
magistrate. Usually this takes place the morning
following the arrest.
If the charges are simple misdemeanors, a different
procedure is followed. Simple misdemeanor cases
have fewer court dates and shorter timelines. Please
call a lawyer for more information. For information
on other charges, please continue below.
After the Initial Appearance, a Preliminary Hearing is
scheduled.
Within 45 days of the arrest, the prosecutor will
usually file the Trial Information.
The Trial Information sets the date of the
Arraignment.
After a defendant attends or files his Arraignment, an
order is issued setting the dates for the Pretrial
Conference and Trial.
If a defendant is found guilty at Trial, (or enters a
guilty plea at the Pretrial Conference) a separate
Sentencing Hearing may be conducted.
At nearly any point in the above process, a Guilty
Plea can be taken by the Court. However, this is
usually done at the Pretrial Conference.
More information is available on these various stages
of the criminal process by clicking on the highlighted
links above.
Deferred Judgments
Many defendants (students in particular) have
specific future plans and do not want criminal
charges clouding their records. Where appropriate,
a lawyer 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.
Motions to Suppress
When the police have obtained evidence of a crime
in violation of a criminal defendant's constitutional
rights, a Motion to Suppress can be filed to exclude
the harmful evidence from trial. Many times a
successful Motion to Suppress will cause the charges
to be dismissed.
Depositions
Depositions in a criminal case are the opportunity for
a criminal defense attorney to ask the State's
witnesses a series of questions while under oath.
Many times depositions can be instrumental in
causing charges to be dismissed or reduced.
Juvenile Cases
For information on juvenile cases, please click here.
OWI Cases
OWI (Operating While Intoxicated) is called DUI
(Driving Under the Influence) in many other
jurisdictions. An OWI has consequences not only in
criminal court but with the Iowa Department of
Transportation as well. It is important that a
defendant understands the criminal and licensing
implications of an OWI before he makes any
decisions regarding his case.
Blog
If you have some general questions that are not
answered under the Criminal Case section above,
please take a look at our legal blog.
Call Us Today!
Please call (319) 354-1630 to schedule a free initial
consultation with a lawyer regarding your criminal
charges.
Mark Thompson is a member of the Iowa State Bar
Association.
Iowa City, Iowa, practicing primarily in
Criminal Law / Criminal Defense.
This includes:
- OWI (DUI, DWI, Drunk Driving) Charges
- Drug-related / Possession of Controlled
Substances offenses, including
Paraphernalia charges
- Public Intoxication, Possession of Alcohol
Under Legal Age (PAULA) and Disorderly
Conduct charges
- Interference and Obstruction charges
- Felonies & Misdemeanors, including
Simple Misdemeanors
The Criminal Case Process
A lawyer practicing in criminal defense can greatly
assist a defendant in the criminal case process. The
procedure has various stages, from arrest or citation,
to trial and sentencing. A lawyer will fully explain this
process, and answer any questions a defendant may
have regarding his next court date.
Most criminal cases begin with an encounter with
police officers. The steps that are taken during
these encounters can greatly determine whether a
suspect is charged with a crime.
Follow this link for a general idea of what you should
do if stopped by the police.
If someone is arrested, he is taken to jail and
booked, and then becomes a defendant in a criminal
case.
"Without unnecessary delay" the defendant is
granted an Initial Appearance before a judge or
magistrate. Usually this takes place the morning
following the arrest.
If the charges are simple misdemeanors, a different
procedure is followed. Simple misdemeanor cases
have fewer court dates and shorter timelines. Please
call a lawyer for more information. For information
on other charges, please continue below.
After the Initial Appearance, a Preliminary Hearing is
scheduled.
Within 45 days of the arrest, the prosecutor will
usually file the Trial Information.
The Trial Information sets the date of the
Arraignment.
After a defendant attends or files his Arraignment, an
order is issued setting the dates for the Pretrial
Conference and Trial.
If a defendant is found guilty at Trial, (or enters a
guilty plea at the Pretrial Conference) a separate
Sentencing Hearing may be conducted.
At nearly any point in the above process, a Guilty
Plea can be taken by the Court. However, this is
usually done at the Pretrial Conference.
More information is available on these various stages
of the criminal process by clicking on the highlighted
links above.
Deferred Judgments
Many defendants (students in particular) have
specific future plans and do not want criminal
charges clouding their records. Where appropriate,
a lawyer 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.
Motions to Suppress
When the police have obtained evidence of a crime
in violation of a criminal defendant's constitutional
rights, a Motion to Suppress can be filed to exclude
the harmful evidence from trial. Many times a
successful Motion to Suppress will cause the charges
to be dismissed.
Depositions
Depositions in a criminal case are the opportunity for
a criminal defense attorney to ask the State's
witnesses a series of questions while under oath.
Many times depositions can be instrumental in
causing charges to be dismissed or reduced.
Juvenile Cases
For information on juvenile cases, please click here.
OWI Cases
OWI (Operating While Intoxicated) is called DUI
(Driving Under the Influence) in many other
jurisdictions. An OWI has consequences not only in
criminal court but with the Iowa Department of
Transportation as well. It is important that a
defendant understands the criminal and licensing
implications of an OWI before he makes any
decisions regarding his case.
Blog
If you have some general questions that are not
answered under the Criminal Case section above,
please take a look at our legal blog.
Call Us Today!
Please call (319) 354-1630 to schedule a free initial
consultation with a lawyer regarding your criminal
charges.
Mark Thompson is a member of the Iowa State Bar
Association.
 |  |  |  |  |  |
Free Initial Consultations
Our lawyer offers free initial
consultations, at no obligation, to
anyone with criminal charges pending
in Iowa. Please call today to schedule
an appointment.
Online Credit Card Payments
Retainer deposits and account
payments can be conveniently and
securely made online. Visa,
Mastercard, American Express,
Discover and bank cards are accepted.
Please click here for online payments.
Our lawyer offers free initial
consultations, at no obligation, to
anyone with criminal charges pending
in Iowa. Please call today to schedule
an appointment.
Online Credit Card Payments
Retainer deposits and account
payments can be conveniently and
securely made online. Visa,
Mastercard, American Express,
Discover and bank cards are accepted.
Please click here for online payments.
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
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.
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Lawyer Biography
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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.
Top
Lawyer Biography
Contact Information
Online Payments
Legal Resources
Sitemap
Service Areas
Mr. Thompson accepts cases in Iowa
City, Iowa, and all the surrounding
communities, including North Liberty,
Coralville, Cedar Rapids, Washington
and Muscatine. He practices in
Johnson, Linn, Washington, Iowa and
Muscatine Counties.
Contact Us
Please call (319) 354-1630 to schedule
a free initial consultation with a criminal
lawyer regarding your charges
Mr. Thompson accepts cases in Iowa
City, Iowa, and all the surrounding
communities, including North Liberty,
Coralville, Cedar Rapids, Washington
and Muscatine. He practices in
Johnson, Linn, Washington, Iowa and
Muscatine Counties.
Contact Us
Please call (319) 354-1630 to schedule
a free initial consultation with a criminal
lawyer regarding your charges
Expungements
If you have been convicted of Public
Intoxication in violation of Iowa Code
§123.46, and at least 2 years have
elapsed since that conviction, and
during that time you have not been
convicted of any violations aside from
minor traffic offenses in violation of
Iowa Code chapter 321, then you may
be eligible to have the Public
Intoxication conviction expunged from
your record. Please call or email us
for details on obtaining an
expungement.
If you have been convicted of Public
Intoxication in violation of Iowa Code
§123.46, and at least 2 years have
elapsed since that conviction, and
during that time you have not been
convicted of any violations aside from
minor traffic offenses in violation of
Iowa Code chapter 321, then you may
be eligible to have the Public
Intoxication conviction expunged from
your record. Please call or email us
for details on obtaining an
expungement.