My husband, a MN resident, was arrested last week in Mason City, Iowa for marijuana possession. At 55 years of age, this is his first offens...

Question

My husband, a MN resident, was arrested last week in Mason City, Iowa for marijuana possession. At 55 years of age, this is his first offense ever! He has a court date set for the 21st of January. Do we need to hire a private attorney, self represent, or have a public defender represent him? My husband spoke with a "marijuana" attorney from Iowa today, and he said the cost will be $2,500, but everything will be taken care of. We aren't in a place financially to handle this amount, unless it's our only option! Can you tell me what penalties he is facing?

Answer

Please let me know what a "marijuana attorney" is as that is not a term I've ever heard before, as well as let me know what it means that "everything will be taken care of." The penalties for this offense are found in the Iowa Code at section 124.401(5) and 901.5(10).