Edward C. Gillette
Edward C. Gillette is the principal trial attorney and sole partner of the firm, which has an established reputation for effectively representing clients in criminal defense, personal injury, DUI, and domestic relations. Ed has practiced law in the Kansas City and surrounding area for over 29 years, and during that time he has tried well over 75 jury trials and thousands of bench trials.
Ed was born and raised in Wyandotte County and continues to reside in Kansas City, Kansas. He attended the University of Kansas undergraduate and Washburn University School of Law, where he graduated in 1984.
Ed is licensed to practice in the State Courts of Kansas and Missouri, the U.S. District Courts in the District of Kansas, the Western District of Missouri Federal Court, as well as the Supreme Court of the United States of America.
Ed has been active in the community and in politics. He currently sits as Pro Tem Municipal Judge in the City of Kansas City, Kansas. He has served as Chairman of the Wyandotte County Parks and Recreation Board, City Councilman and President of the Edwardsville City Council, Member of the Mid-America Regional Council Board, Member of Governor Kathleen Sebelius’ Transition Team, and Member of the Kansas Gaming Committee.
Ed has appeared and argued cases at all levels, including the Kansas Court of Appeals and the Kansas Supreme Court.
PERSONAL INJURY/NEGLIGENCE OF OTHERS/WRONGFUL DEATH
On September 9, 2011, Ed was successful in petitioning the Kansas Supreme Court to hear a direct appeal from the District Court in Jefferson County, Kansas, on an issue of first impression in the State of Kansas regarding negligent entrustment of an automobile (a civil tort). The issue was briefed by the law firm and filed with the Supreme Court on October 5, 2011, and an additional reply brief was filed on December 14, 2011. Oral arguments were presented on January 30, 2013. The Firm is currently awaiting a decision from the Court.
Ed has handled or been involved in a number of complex personal injury claims over the past 29 years and has obtained numerous six-figure settlements as well as seven-figure settlements. At the present time, Ed’s caseload is such that he divides his time between personal injury litigation and major felony criminal representation.
Ed is an accomplished trial attorney and his skills have been utilized with great success in the personal injury field involving not only automobile accidents, but slip-and-fall cases and wrongful death.
DUI/CRIMINAL DEFENSE
In 2008, Ed appeared before the Kansas Supreme Court on a criminal matter involving a former Chief of Police in the metropolitan area and was successful in seeing that case dismissed on speedy trial grounds. See State v. Vaughn, 288 Kan. 140, 200 P.3d 446 (2009).
On February 25, 2011, the Kansas Court of Appeals, in an unpublished decision (No. 104,271), affirmed the Douglas County District Court’s decision granting a motion to suppress filed by Ed. The facts involved a DUI stop, which the Court found lacked sufficient evidence to justify the officer’s decision to conduct said stop on public safety grounds and ultimately dismissed the DUI charge against Ed's client.
On May 4, 2012 the Kansas Court of Appeals reversed the District Court of Douglas County, Kansas and ruled in the Firm's favor in a Fourth Amendment unlawful search and seizure case. For more information, please view the Firm's blog.
On January 6, 2012, Ed tried a misdemeanor DUI jury trial in Leavenworth County and the District Judge directed a judgment of acquittal for the defendant and against the State, thus effectively denying the jury the ability to decide the case.
On January 23, 2012, Ed tried a felony DUI jury trial in the District Court of Johnson County, Kansas and the jury, after a little more than an hour of deliberation, found his client not guilty.
On February 4, 2013, Ed tried an aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer jury trial in the District Court of Leavenworth County, Kansas, in which the defendant was acquitted.
For further information on recent cases and events involving the firm and its members, see our blog.