Washington, DC (August 21, 2015) – Kansas City, MO, Judge Charles Atwell was elected to the Board of Directors of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) at the Association's 58th annual meeting in Denver, CO, on July 26. Atwell previously served on the Board from 1990-1996. He has been active in NACDL since 1985, and he served as co-chair of the CLE Committee in the early 1990's. He has done tours of duty twice on the Nominating Committee and also the Amicus Committee. In 1994 he successfully represented St. Louis lawyer Richard Sindell in his efforts to resist an IRS summons as part of the 8300 task force of NACDL.
Mr. Atwell has been practicing law since 1977. The majority of his time has been spent in matters touching upon the criminal justice system. His service has included being an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Jackson County, Missouri, and Assistant United States Attorney in the Western District of Missouri. He was in the private practice for a period of over 17 years where he specialized in criminal defense work. Mr. Atwell's representation of individuals and corporations includes trial work, appellant work, post-conviction work and representation of individuals and companies in a variety of administrative context and investigations. His courtroom exposure ranges from small towns in the state of Missouri to representing white collar defendants throughout the United States. His criminal clients include elected officials, corporate executives and lawyers as well as murder defendants, drug dealers and residents of Missouri on death row. Mr. Atwell has also had experience as a Judge and mediator in a variety of complex civil matters.
In 1996 Mr. Atwell was appointed circuit judge for Jackson County, MO, where he served for 16-1/2 years. During that time he was a special judge on multiple cases in the Court of Appeals and in the Supreme Court. In 2007 he was voted by the lawyers of the state of Missouri as the Best Circuit Judge in the state.
For the last two year Mr. Atwell has been of counsel to the Foland Wickens Eisfelder Roper & Hofer, P.C. where he specializes in ADR and masters work as well has having an active federal defense practice. This year he received both the Distinguished Counselor Award and the H. Michael Coburn Professional Excellence Award from the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association.
He lives in Kansas City with his wife, Janel.
Contacts
Ezra Dunkle-Polier, NACDL Public Affairs & Communications Assistant, (202) 465-7656 or edunkle-polier@nacdl.org for more information.
The National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers is the preeminent organization advancing the mission of the criminal defense bar to ensure justice and due process for persons accused of crime or wrongdoing. A professional bar association founded in 1958, NACDL's many thousands of direct members in 28 countries – and 90 state, provincial and local affiliate organizations totaling up to 40,000 attorneys – include private criminal defense lawyers, public defenders, military defense counsel, law professors and judges committed to preserving fairness and promoting a rational and humane criminal justice system.