Top best Criminal Defense Lawyers in West Des Moines | 20 available

When you need the best! Mr. Rehkemper was selected to the Super Lawyers list for the thirteenth straight year in 2024, and has repeatedly and consistently been named Avvo’s Client Choice and Top Attorney for DUI defense with a Superb rating of 10.0 out of a possible 10.0. Mr. Rehkemper is the State of Iowa Delegate for the National College of DUI Defense, and is a founding member of DUI Defense Lawyers Association. A frequent speaker at attorney education seminars, Mr. Rehkemper has distinguished himself as a premier defense attorney in the State of Iowa for drunk driving and vehicular homicide charges. Mr. Rehkemper’s aggressive and thorough investigation of each case, coupled with his meticulous preparation for hearings, arguments and trials, has resulted in an impressive list of representative cases that speaks for itself.

Tim McCarthy serves the West Des Moines area as a criminal defense attorney. He has been representing clients for more than 25 years, and he knows how to take on even the most challenging cases. He helped to found McCarthy & Hamrock, P.C., which is dedicated to providing the highest quality of legal counsel, and he continues to take on cases involving charges for crimes such as DUI, federal charges, and drug crimes as an attorney there. His educational background and experience have led him to a successful career in which he can fulfill his passion for serving those facing difficult situations.. After studying at University of Kansas, Tim McCarthy earned his B.A. at Drake University. Then he worked toward his J.D. at Drake University's School of Law and became licensed to practice in 1983. Since graduating, he has expanded his ability to practice, and is now licensed in the U.S. District Court in both the Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa, the U.S. Court of Appeals, the Eighth Circuit Court and the U.S. Supreme Court.. As a member of a number of organizations including the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, NORML, and the Iowa Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Timothy McCarthy stays up to date on current legal issues and continues to increase his knowledge. In addition, he is an active member of Phi Alpha Delta, and shares his experiences in the legal field as a teacher at Drake University's Trial Advocacy Institute and a speaker at Criminal Law Seminars.

My favorite google review said "He has small town morals and super skills as an attorney."  I grew up in small towns in Iowa, I am honored by that statement, and I will always give my best.

In my free time, I enjoy biking, running, and swimming and have completed numerous marathons and Ironman triathlons.

I have devoted  my legal career to defending the rights of Iowan’s charged with drug and alcohol offenses with an emphasis on operating while intoxicated, boating while intoxicated, serious injury by vehicle, and vehicular homicide cases.  My interest in the criminal justice system began early in my career while attending Simpson College and majoring in Criminal Justice and graduating Cum Laude in 1999.  After attending Simpson, I received my law degree from Drake University in 2002.  While attending Drake, my passion for the criminal justice system was enhanced by completing an internship at the Warren County Attorney’s Office as well as through completion of the Advanced Criminal Defense Clinic.. In 2004 I became a member of the National College of Drunk Driving Defense and am currently one of only a few select attorneys in Iowa to be a member of this organization.  In April 2005, I completed the NHTSA/IACP Standardized Field Sobriety Practitioner Training Course through Walden, Platt and Associates where I became certified to administer and score the same field sobriety tests used by police officers when making an arrest of an intoxicated driver.. I continue to hone my skills in defending the rights of Iowan’s by attending other national and local seminars related to criminal and drunk driving defense.  I have also spoken at numerous seminars on issues such as field sobriety testing, breath testing, case law updates, and appellate practice.  My practice also includes the litigation of appeals through the Iowa Court of Appeals and the Iowa Supreme Court.. I have also been an assistant wrestling coach at Valley Highschool since 2004 and currently am a volunteer assistance.  I enjoy working with the kids to help them not only become better athletes but better individuals.  I also enjoy being outdoors and taking my annual fishing trips to Minnesota.

I have been a practicing litigation attorney for nearly sixteen years.  During that time I have focused my practice on client relationships.  For each of my clients, their litigation may be the most important aspect of their lives.  I strive to provide personal and attentive service to each of my clients to help them through their litigation experience.  Clients expect prompt service, phone calls returned and personal attention.  I use that relationship to keep my clients calm and engaged in their litigation.  And of course, I utilize all resources available to obtain excellent results on behalf of my clients.

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.. As a trial attorney, I've tried dozens of misdemeanor and felony cases to a jury and obtained dismissals of more than 170 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, 961 N.W.2d 396 (Iowa 2021).  The decision was the first to recognize the rejuvenated 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. I have since worked diligently to expand the scope of the trespass doctrine to K9 searches, the deployment of recording devices by confidential informants under the one-party consent rule in Iowa and other areas that have typically been analyzed under an expectation of privacy approach.. In response to Wright, the Iowa General Assembly codified a new law in 2022, which sought to reinstate the now-unconstitutional police practice of surreptitiously searching curbside garbage without a warrant.  In what I believe to be the first ruling addressing the new law, the Iowa District Court for Boone County struck down the statute as unconstitutional in State v. Whaley, No. FECR115299, on September 28, 2022.  Rather than appeal the ruling, however, the State dismissed the charges instead.  Regrettably, this section has since been upheld by the Iowa Supreme Court. So, while Wright remains good law regarding the application of the trespass doctrine under the state constitution, the police can once again seize your garbage without a warrant and rummage throught it.. 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. In addition to Wright, I successfully argued 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.  More recently, I secured a second unanimous decision in 2023 by the Iowa Supreme Court in State v. Arrieta, 998 N.W.2d 617 (Iowa 2023), which reversed the Iowa Court of Appeals decision and held our client was unreasonably detained at a weigh station to await a drug K9.. I am co-counsel in Mumford v. Iowa, No. 24-1093, a matter pending before the United States Supreme Court challenging a trepass by a drug K9 on an open car window under the Fourth Amendment. This is an appeal of the Iowa Supreme Court's ruling in State v. Mumford, 14 N.W.3d 346 (Iowa 2024).. I have been named a Great Plains Super Lawyer in the area of Criminal Defense for seven years running (2018-2024).

As a criminal defense attorney with nearly 15 years of legal experience, Aaron Hamrock knows what it takes to go the extra mile for each clients. He currently serves as a partner and attorney at McCarthy & Hamrock, P.C. in West Des Moines, where he defends those facing charges such as DUI, drug offenses, violent crimes, and white collar crimes. Aaron knows that his clients are going through difficult times, and he strives to proactively form a unique defense for each individual while keeping them informed through each step of the process.. Aaron Hamrock studied at Central College before working toward his Juris Doctor at Drake University. He earned his license to practice in Iowa in 1995. Since then, he has expanded his ability to practice, and is now licensed before the U.S. District Court for both the Northern and Southern Districts of Iowa, as well as the Iowa Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals and the Eighth Circuit Court.. By active participating as a member of organizations including NORML, the Litigation Section of the American Bar Association, the Iowa Trial Lawyer's Association, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Aaron stays up to date on legal issues and increases his knowledge of his field.

Experienced Criminal Defense attorney serving clients in West Des Moines and surrounding areas.

Experienced Criminal Defense attorney serving clients in West Des Moines and surrounding areas.

Experienced Criminal Defense attorney serving clients in West Des Moines and surrounding areas.

Experienced Criminal Defense attorney serving clients in West Des Moines and surrounding areas.

Experienced Criminal Defense attorney serving clients in West Des Moines and surrounding areas.

Experienced Criminal Defense attorney serving clients in West Des Moines and surrounding areas.

Experienced Criminal Defense attorney serving clients in West Des Moines and surrounding areas.

Experienced Criminal Defense attorney serving clients in West Des Moines and surrounding areas.

Experienced Criminal Defense attorney serving clients in West Des Moines and surrounding areas.

Experienced Criminal Defense attorney serving clients in West Des Moines and surrounding areas.

Experienced Criminal Defense attorney serving clients in West Des Moines and surrounding areas.

Experienced Criminal Defense attorney serving clients in West Des Moines and surrounding areas.