Criminal defense in Platte City

If you were charged with a crime in Platte City — a misdemeanor, a felony, a DWI, or a traffic case that can turn criminal — you need a straight answer before the first court date, not a speech. David McDonald of McDonald Law Firm LLC is a trial lawyer with 17+ years of experience. The office is at 504 Main Street, Platte City, MO 64079. The consult is free. Call 816-510-1084.

What a Platte City criminal case is

A Platte City case usually starts with a stop, a citation, or an arrest inside the city. The paper you were handed matters more than the label someone used on the phone. Some matters stay in municipal court. Some are filed as misdemeanors or felonies in Platte County. If the case is in circuit court, see Platte County criminal defense. This page is the place to start if the problem is a criminal charge connected to Platte City. The charge-specific pages cover the details of DWI and DUI, traffic tickets, misdemeanors, and felonies.

Bring the citation, the bond paperwork, or a photo of both. On a free consult, David will tell you what the paperwork appears to be, which court it names, and whether the firm can take it. He will not promise a dismissal, a reduced charge, or any particular sentence.

First appearance in Platte City

If you have a first court date on a Platte City charge, that date is usually a first appearance, sometimes called an arraignment. In general, that is when the charge is stated, the court addresses whether you have a lawyer, and release or bond conditions may be set, along with the next date. Which building, which division, and whether you must appear in person depend on the summons you received. Do not guess from this page. Read the paper, and call 816-510-1084 before the date if you can. For a plain-language overview of how cases move, see court process.

Do not discuss the facts of the case with anyone but your lawyer. If police want a further statement, you can decline and call counsel first.

A lawyer whose office is in Platte City

McDonald Law Firm LLC’s office is at 504 Main Street, Platte City, Missouri 64079. That is the address to use. David has 17+ years of trial experience, is admitted in Missouri (2021), Kansas (2010), and Oregon (2015), and charges $350 an hour. The consultation is free.

A client, K.S., wrote: “Over 4 years on our case. His professionalism helped save a family member’s life.” That is one client’s words about one case. It is not a promise about yours.

Trial work David can discuss factually, without a guaranteed result, includes a Phelps death-penalty acquittal, a Gilmore acquittal on two death-penalty murder counts, a Sheldon murder charge dismissed, an Eldred death-penalty murder matter resolved by a five-year plea to a reduced charge, and a Hamilton murder charge dismissed at trial. Those are specific cases, not a prediction.

Who this is for, and who we refer

This page is for you if you were stopped, cited, or charged in Platte City, or you live in Platte City and have a criminal case in this county. It is also for a family member calling because the person charged cannot.

Call anyway if you are not sure which court it is. David will say if it is a fit.

We are not the right firm for divorce, custody, or other family-law matters, or for a civil dispute that is not a criminal charge. If the only issue is a ticket picked up while visiting Missouri or Kansas from out of state, start at out-of-state help or ask on the same call. If the case is a DWI and you want the DWI page first, use DUI / DWI — the call is the same number either way.