KesslerWilliams is the criminal defense law firm you need to succeed in the courtroom.
John Davis joined KesslerWilliams in 2020 after serving as an Assistant United States Attorney in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Missouri, for more than twenty-three years. As an Assistant United States Attorney, Mr. Davis was assigned to the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. He supervised and assisted investigations of major narcotic conspiracies, money laundering, asset forfeiture, federal firearm offenses, and federal bomb and arson offenses. These investigations involved the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), United States Postal Inspection Service, Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and numerous other federal and state agencies. As a result, Mr. Davis is very experienced in global positioning system (GPS) tracking, wiretaps, and other electronic means of investigation. His post-investigation courtroom experience includes federal grand jury practice, extensive federal jury and bench trials, and appellate matters before the United States 8th Circuit Court of Appeals.
Prior to becoming an Assistant United States Attorney, Mr. Davis was elected Associate Circuit Judge of the 11th Circuit in St. Charles County, Missouri. Before taking the bench, Mr. Davis' litigation career began as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in the St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, where he gained extensive trial experience in felony, misdemeanor, and traffic matters on the state level. He also practiced before the Missouri Court of Appeals for the Eastern District.
Mr. Davis has over 20 years of experience as an adjunct professor of criminal justice at Lindenwood University. His teaching experience includes Constitutional Law, Criminal Investigations, Criminal Justice, and the Law of Evidence.
A native of Peoria, Illinois, he graduated from Bradley University, with a B.S. in Administration of Criminal Justice, and Saint Louis University School of Law.
Education
- Saint Louis University School of Law, St. Louis, Missouri
- Bradley University
- B.S.
- Major: Administration of Criminal Justice
Bar Admissions
- Missouri
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of Missouri
Published Works
- Lecturer, “The United States Sentencing Guidelines,” Missouri Bar Association Solo and Small Firm Conference, June 2011
- Lecturer, “A Roadmap to Federal Prosecution,” Missouri Bar Association Solo and Small Firm Conference, June 2012
- Lecturer, “Roundtable Discussion of State vs. Federal Criminal Matters,” Missouri Bar Association Solo and Small Firm Conference, June 2012
- Lecturer, “Federal Criminal Practice,” Missouri Bar Association Solo and Small Firm Conference, June 2013
- Lecturer, “The Art of Effective Cross Examination,” St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office and Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office, 2015
- Lecturer, “Cops in the Courtroom – Direct & Cross Examination,” Missouri Narcotics Officers Association, annually since 2009
- Lecturer, “The Fourth Amendment – Search & Seizure,” Missouri Sheriffs Association, April 2009
- Lecturer, “Fourth Amendment and Highway Interdiction,” El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC), February 2009
- Lecturer, “Fourth Amendment and the Use of Police Canines,” Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, January 2017
- Lecturer, “A State Case Becomes a Federal Case & Fourth Amendment,” Advanced Narcotics School at Missouri Highway Patrol General Headquarters, presented annually
Honors
- “Missouri Outstanding Judge of 1994” by the Missouri Chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, November 1994
- “Top Ten Young Missourians of 1995” by Missouri Jaycees, February 1995
- Certificate of appreciation from Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division & Drug Enforcement Administration for outstanding prosecution of United States v. Pike et al., September 1998
- Certificate of appreciation from Federal Bureau of Investigation for outstanding prosecution of United States v Burns et al., January 1999
- Certificate of appreciation from Federal Bureau of Investigation for outstanding prosecution of United States v Parsley et al., January 2001
- Certificate of appreciation from Federal Bureau of Investigation for outstanding prosecution of United States v Bond et al., January 2001
- Meritorious Achievement Award from the United States Attorney’s Office for outstanding investigation and prosecution of Drug Enforcement Administration’s “Operation Dog Catcher,” May 2001
- Meritorious Achievement Award from the United States Attorney’s Office for outstanding investigation and prosecution of Drug Enforcement Administration’s “Operation Dog Catcher,” May 2001 Certificate of appreciation from Federal Bureau of Investigation for outstanding prosecution of United States v Bibbs et al., January 2004
- Certificate of appreciation from Drug Enforcement Administration for outstanding prosecution of United States v. Katz, M.D., August 2005
- Certificate of appreciation from Federal Bureau of Investigation for outstanding investigation and prosecution of “Operation Hit the Deck,” December 2012
- Awarded outstanding investigation of the year by the United States Attorney’s Office for United States v. Anderson et al., December 2017