Criminal lawyers within 300 miles of Independence Missouri

Andrea Welch is the President of the Eastern Jackson County Bar Association (board member since 2001, member since 1999). She is also the President of the Missouri Municipal Prosecutors Association (member since 2000). Andrea has been a member of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association Municipal Court Committee since 1999 and a member of the Missouri Criminal Defense Attorneys since 2001. She has been a Sugar Creek Optimist Club member since 2007 and on the Sugar Creek Parks and Recreation Committee since 2005.

Roderick E. Smith is a practicing lawyer in the state of Missouri handling criminal defense matters.

Tamara Putnam has been practicing law for over 25 years in the Kansas City metropolitan area. She attended the University of Missouri at St. Louis to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics with Cum Laude Honors. She earned a four year athletic scholarship as a member of the University of Missouri–St. Louis NCAA Women’s Basketball team. Tamara then attended Washburn University School of Law to obtain her Juris Doctorate. While attending Washburn Law School, Tamara Putnam became a published author. The Washburn Law Journal published her law review article with co-author Jonathan Lautt. Will Debtors Win the Battle as Creditors Win the War?: Retroactive Recovery of Attorney Fees in Consumer Credit Contracts in Kansas, p. 556-572 (1.5 MB PDF) Tamara I. Putnam & Jonathan J. Lautt Tamara worked for the Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. She worked as a drug prosecutor. She was promoted to the lead prosecutor of the Violent Gang Crime Unit. She worked closely with the Drug Enforcement Unit (DEU) and Street Narcotics Unit (SNU) to prosecute crimes related to illegal production, transfer, sale and possession of controlled substances. As head of the Gang Unit, she focused on the prosecution of violent offenses committed by suspected gang members, including assaults, robberies, armed criminal action and shooting into a dwelling. After a successful term as a prosecutor, Tamara moved into private practice with a focus on criminal defense. As a former prosecutor, she has a deep understanding of the strategies used by the prosecution and law enforcement to obtain convictions. She prepares for the prosecutor’s tactics and walks into court prepared to defend her client’s case. Tamara later expanded her practice to include personal injury. She litigates personal injury cases in both Missouri and Kansas from a simple slip and fall to wrongful death. She has an unwavering commitment to assist people who have been injured due to the negligent actions of others. She takes great pride in taking on the profit motivated insurance companies and holding them accountable to fully compensate her clients. Tamara has focused her practice on criminal defense and serious personal injury her entire career. She has handled countless felonies charges in State Court as a prosecutor and now as a criminal defense counsel. She also focuses her practice on litigation of serious personal injury accidents. Tamara has a fierce reputation as an outstanding advocate excelling in both criminal defense and personal injury.

Bryan Gentry, the founder of The Gentry Law Firm, has represented numerous clients in domestic, criminal, civil & traffic matters. Bryan was born and raised in south Kansas City, Missouri. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Missouri in Columbia. In 2016, he joined the Jackson County 16th circuit court as a law clerk for Division 34 under the honorable judge Susan E. Long. For nearly 3 years, he was instrumental in resolving thousands of cases spanning across criminal, civil, domestic and traffic matters. He managed multiple dockets, drafted orders, reviewed pleadings, and assisted in issuing orders, summons and warrants. During this time, Bryan gained substantial rapport with the bench and local legal community. After spending several years with the Jackson County circuit court, Bryan practiced civil litigation at a local Kansas City law firm, where he honed his legal skills around contracts and collections. In 2020, amidst a global pandemic, Bryan decided to open his own firm so he could better serve his own community. He started The Gentry Law Firm to be a resource and advocate for his community. He navigates his clients through the Kansas City legal system using a detail-oriented approach to get the best possible results for his clients. Bryan is a compassionate and down-to-earth legal counsel who will manage the stress of your case enabling you to focus on moving forward with your life. Bryan holds an active Missouri Bar license and is a member of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association.

Andrew Popplewell focuses his practice on DWI defense, general criminal defense, alcohol and drug offenses and traffic violations. Andrew grew up and worked on a fifth-generation family farm where he learned early on the importance of personal responsibility and work ethic. In 2001, Andrew graduated from the University of Missouri with a B.S. in Agriculture Economics. He began working for Eng & Woods in 2002 while still in law school and joined the firm as an associate in May 2005. Andrew became a partner with Eng & Woods in January 2010. He is an active member of the Missouri Bar, the Boone County Bar Association and both the Missouri and National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. Andrew Popplewell successfully handles more than 100 DWI cases yearly, while giving each client the attention they deserve. He has successfully tried multiple cases to both judge and jury resulting in not-guilty verdicts for his clients throughout the state of Missouri. Furthermore, he fights for all of his clients accused of crimes, contesting multiple cases monthly. Andrew obtained certification from the Department of Transportation to administer Standardized Field Sobriety Tests, a necessity for cross-examining arresting officers. Finally, he is one of only two attorneys in Columbia to attain membership in the prestigious National College for DUI Defense. Attorneys from outside of Columbia, Missouri and attorneys who do not practice criminal law refer Andrew Popplewell cases on a continual basis — as do former clients. They all know that he is an aggressive lawyer who will give you an honest assessment of your case, and through a combination of knowledge and hard work, fight to get you the best result possible.

Thad Mulholland is an auto injury and auto and motorcycle accident lawyer at Eng and Woods in Columbia, MO. He is also a workers’ compensation lawyer and has experience with serious injury and wrongful death claims. He has settled and tried cases throughout many Missouri counties. Thad received his undergraduate degree with distinction from the University of Iowa and graduated from the University of Missouri School of Law in 1995. Thad is a member of The Missouri Bar, the Boone County Bar Association, the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys and the Association of Plaintiff Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America. He has received an AV® Preeminent™ Peer Review RatingSM by Martindale-Hubbell®, which is recognized as the highest rating an attorney can receive and is based on feedback from peers.

Adam’s practice at Eng & Woods Attorneys at Law includes extensive specializations in the area of criminal law. He represents felony and misdemeanor cases, in state, municipal, and federal courts across the state of Missouri. Adam is licensed to practice law throughout the state of Missouri and is a member of the Missouri Bar Association (MOBAR), the Boone County Bar Association (BCBA), and the Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (MACDL). Adam has served on, and chaired, various committees within these associations and regularly volunteers his time consulting with other attorneys on criminal defense matters. He also spends time educating and training future attorneys in Criminal Defense and Trial Skills. Adam was raised in Montgomery City, Missouri, and graduated from Montgomery County R-II High school in 1999. In 2003, he received his bachelor’s degree in Biology from Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. In 2006, he received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Missouri, Columbia School of Law. Adam began working for Eng & Woods as a law clerk in 2005 and joined the firm as an Associate Attorney in 2006. Adam was made a Partner at Eng & Woods law firm in 2012. Adam lives in Columbia with his wife, Heather, and their three daughters.

Our experienced legal staff is dedicated to helping you with the following legal matters: Family Law Criminal Defense Personal Injury

The Morlan family has lived and farmed in Cedar County Missouri since the mid 1800’s. Tad grew up in El Dorado Springs and graduated from there in 1983. Tad then attended Missouri State University and studied Economics prior to attending law school at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, where he obtained his law degree. He began practicing law in 1992. Now Tad has almost 30 years under his belt practicing personal injury in Springfield Missouri helping thousands of people.