Criminal defense attorneys Katie Sears and John Sears live and work in Ankeny IA and accept cases in the surrounding area, including in Des Moines, IA.
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Johnathan Sears
John Sears graduated from Drake Law School in 2017. While attending, John maintained an emphasis in criminal law. He and his Partner, Katherine Sears, were the only two in their class to earn the Prosecution and Defense Certificate upon graduation.
As part of Drake’s Advanced Criminal Defense Clinic, John Sears had firsthand responsibility for a variety of cases, from simple assaults to felony charges. With a careful application of the Iowa Code and case law, he achieved several dismissals. He worked with Robert Rigg, co-author of Iowa Practice Series: Criminal Law, on a First Degree Murder case.
John was awarded the Davis, Brown, Keohen, Shors, & Roberts Award for Excellence in Advocacy when arguing in front of the Iowa Supreme Court. Through an internship with the Polk County Attorneys Office and as a member of the AAJ Mock Trial team, John has spent hundreds of hours in the courtroom.
Organizations:
Iowa State Bar Association
American Bar Association
Katherine Sears
Katherine Sears (then Katherine Clark) graduated Drake Law School in 2017.
As part of Drake’s Advanced Criminal Defense Clinic, Katie had firsthand responsibility for a variety of cases, from simple assaults to felony charges. By carefully listening to her clients and analyzing how their stories best matched defenses available under Iowa law, she was able to negotiate favorable case resolutions. Katherine worked with her professor, Robert Rigg, co-author of Iowa Practice Series: Criminal Law, on a First Degree Murder case.
Katie has two cats, a young child, and gets real worked up about perceived violations of the First and Fourth Amendments. She cares a whole lot about indigents’ legal right to counsel, the “justice” system’s disproportionate prosecution of minority groups, and cases involving substance possession/prostitution, as she believes strongly that the state has no business criminalizing consenting adults’ exercise of bodily autonomy. Katie hopes that everyone reading this Googles “jury nullification” immediately and makes a conscious choice to inform themselves and their friends and family members about jurors’ constitutional rights and responsibilities.
Organizations:
Iowa State Bar Association
American Bar Association
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
