As part of Shook’s Pro Bono Team, David handles juvenile cases, adult criminal matters and related civil matters. The juvenile cases include delinquencies, status offenses, certifications, abuse and neglect, termination of parental rights, and guardianships, while the criminal matters could be charges against an adult or a juvenile certified to stand trial as an adult.
In both Jackson and Cass Counties, David served as an assistant public defender for 19 years. He represented indigent clients with charges as low as traffic offenses and as high as murder. He tried 20 cases, with acquittals for first degree murder, burglary, drug sales and other serious charges. David also won many suppression, dismissal and probation discharge motions. For the almost 10,000 cases he handled, David provided each client with personal attention and skill that routinely resulted in successful dispositions. During his time as a public defender, he handled cases in nine different counties and a few writs in appellate court.
David served in various managerial roles as a public defender, including leading the drug and early disposition teams and coordinating the juvenile cases. He regularly supervised seven attorneys, and he trained and mentored more than 65 attorneys overall. David also assisted in the assigning of cases and dockets, and he was a regular group leader at state-wide workshops.
David has attended conferences from various legal organizations, including the National Juvenile Defender Center, National Criminal Defense College, and National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He has presented at various conferences and was a guest lecturer at the UMKC public defender clinic.