What You're Charged With, What It Means, and What We Can Do About It

Facing a criminal charge in Iowa is disorienting before it's anything else. The paperwork uses language you've never seen, the court dates come fast, and the internet gives you worst-case scenarios when what you need is a straight answer. I've spent 50 years giving those answers to people in eastern Iowa — in plain English, on the first call.

If you've been charged with a crime in Scott County, Muscatine, Clinton, Jackson, Cedar County, or anywhere in the Iowa 7th Judicial District, here's what you need to understand about how the system works — and where I can help.

How Iowa Criminal Cases Actually Move

Most people have no idea what happens between an arrest and a verdict. The process isn't what you've seen on television, and understanding it is the first step toward making good decisions.

Step 1:

Arrest and Initial Appearance

Within 24 hours of arrest, you'll appear before a magistrate who reads the charges and sets bail conditions. This is not a trial. Nothing is decided here — but how you handle this stage affects everything that follows. I can appear with you or advise you before you say a single word.

Step 2:

Arraignment

You enter a formal plea — not guilty in almost every case at this stage. The court sets pretrial deadlines. This is where the defense strategy begins, not ends.

Step 3:

Pretrial Motions and Discovery

I review every piece of evidence the prosecution has: police reports, dashcam and bodycam footage, witness statements, lab results. If evidence was obtained illegally — a bad stop, a coerced statement, a warrant that shouldn't have been issued — I file to suppress it. Cases are often won or lost here, before trial.

Step 4:

Plea Negotiations

Most cases resolve before trial. That doesn't mean accepting whatever the prosecutor offers. I negotiate from a position of preparation — they know I'll take the case to trial if the offer isn't fair. That changes the conversation.

Step 5:

Trial

If the case doesn't resolve, I try it. I tried four major cases last year. I trained at a top Manhattan firm alongside attorneys who have tried cases at the highest levels in the country. When trial is the right call, I'm ready.

Iowa Charge Classifications — What They Actually Mean

Iowa doesn't use the same language every state does. Here's the structure you need to know:

• Serious Misdemeanor — up to one year in jail and a $1,875 fine. Example: first-offense OWI.
  
  
• Aggravated Misdemeanor — up to two years and a $6,250 fine. Example: domestic assault causing injury.
  
  
• Class D Felony — up to five years in prison. Example: third-offense OWI or drug possession with intent.
  
  
• Class C Felony — up to ten years. Example: delivery of a controlled substance.
  
  
• Class B Felony — up to 25 years. Example: robbery in the first degree.
  
  
• Class A Felony — mandatory life sentence. I do not take Class A cases — see below.

The charge on your paperwork is a starting point, not a sentence. I'll tell you what it actually means for your life on the first call.

Cases I Handle Across Eastern Iowa

Every case I take is one I know how to defend. I don't spread thin across every area of law — I focus on the charges where my experience gives you a real advantage.

• OWI / DUI Defense — first offense through felony third, license revocation, ignition interlock, and TRL hearings. Iowa's 10-day DOT appeal window starts the night of your arrest. Call immediately.
  
  
• Traffic Offenses — speeding, reckless driving, driving while barred, and CDL violations that can cost a commercial driver their livelihood.
  
  
• Assault and Domestic Assault — from misdemeanor simple assault through serious injury charges, including domestic assault with mandatory minimums.
  
  
• Drug Crimes — possession, delivery, and federal drug charges. Iowa's sentencing ranges vary widely; the facts of the stop and search matter enormously.
  
  
• Guns and Weapons Charges — unlawful possession, felon-in-possession, and related federal exposure.
  
  
• White Collar and Federal Defense — fraud, embezzlement, and federal charges that require experience with federal procedure and sentencing guidelines.
  

What I Don't Take — and Why That Matters

I don't handle murder, attempted murder, or Assault in the First Degree. Not because I lack trial experience — I have more than most defense attorneys in this region. I step back from these cases because they require a level of sustained, singular focus that I won't divide across a full docket. If you're facing one of those charges, I'll point you toward the right attorney. That's not a dodge. It's how I keep my word to every client I do take.

Iowa Allows Outcomes That Don't Follow You Forever

One of the most important conversations I have with clients is about what a "win" actually looks like. A conviction isn't the only outcome — and in many cases it isn't the most likely one.

Iowa law allows deferred judgments on many first-offense charges. A deferred judgment means no conviction enters the record. If you comply with the court's conditions, the charge is discharged. Iowa also allows expungement of certain deferred judgments, which means the record can be sealed entirely.

My approach on every case: fight to dismiss first, reduce second, defer third. A clean record matters more than how the case feels in the courtroom.

Questions Clients Ask Before They Call

50 Years of Defense Experience, Available Around the Clock

I'm Gary Koos. I graduated from Drake Law School — one of the country's top-ranked programs for trial advocacy — and spent 12 years in Manhattan, working alongside attorneys who tried some of the most high-profile cases in the country. I brought that experience back to eastern Iowa, where I've practiced criminal defense for five decades.

When you call my number, I answer. Not a receptionist, not a service — me. If you or someone you care about has been arrested, that's the call to make.