Chet Pleban

Partner

Chet Pleban brings more than forty (40) years of both criminal and civil litigation experience to the firm. He has tried hundreds of cases across the country resulting in acquittals in criminal cases, and multi-million dollar awards in civil cases. Many of Chet’s cases are high profile and complex. He has been profiled in numerous newspaper and magazine publications. In fact, because of his aggressive style, the news media nicknamed him “Pit Bull”. One of his cases involving a St. Louis police officer accused of murder has been memorialized in the fictional novel, Conviction of Innocence. Today, Chet continues to focus his practice on litigation.

Bar Admissions

• United States Supreme Court
• United States Tax Court
• State of Missouri
• United States District Court – Eastern District of Missouri
• United States District Court – Western District of Missouri
• United States District Court Western District of Pennsylvania
• United States District Court – Southern District of Illinois
• 8th Circuit Court of Appeals
• 7th Circuit Court of appeals
• 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals

Education

• University of Scranton (B.S., 1971)
• St. Louis University (J.D. 1974)

Professional Memberships & Associations

• The Missouri Bar
• Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys
• Missouri Municipal & Associate Circuit Judges Association

Other Experience and Awards

• 2020 – Super Lawyers (top 5% of attorneys in Missouri)
• 2013 Present City Attorney, City of Vinita Park, Missouri
• 2012 Special Counsel to the City of Valley Park, Missouri
• 2007 – 2009 Special Assistant Attorney General- Governor’s E-mail Investigation
• 2006 – 2010 Special Counsel to Camden County, Missouri
• 2001 – 2004 City Attorney, City of Frontenac, Missouri
• 2001 – 2004 Prosecuting Attorney, City of Frontenac, Missouri
• 2004 – 2007 Special Counsel to the City of St. Charles, Missouri
• 2004 – 2007 Special Counsel to the Osage Beach Fire Protection District
• 1998 – 1999 Special Counsel to the City of Frontenac, Missouri
• 1997 – 2001 Special Counsel to the Mayor of the City of St. Louis, Missouri
• 1996 – Present Special Counsel to the Chesterfield Police Department
• 1974 – 1988; 1999-2014 Legal Advisor, St. Louis Police Officers’ Association
• 1991 – 1993 Special Assistant Attorney General and Legal Advisor, Missouri State Highway Patrol
• 1990 – Present Lecturer, Missouri Bar and NBI Continuing Legal Education Programs
• 1998 – Present Visiting Lecturer, St. Louis University, Washington University, University of Missouri St. Louis,
• Lecturer, Webster University, St. Louis Community College, Meramec and Forest Park
• 2008 – Present Legal Analyst and Commentator, Fox 2 News
• 2001 – 2006 Host, “Chet Chat”, KTRS Radio, 550 AM, a radio talk show dealing with current legal issues and events
• 2015 Present Weekly Legal Analyst and Commentator, “The Dave Glover Show”, 97.1 FM
• 2005 Best Lawyer, Riverfront Times
• Profile: “The Pit Bull”, by Jeannette Cooperman, St. Louis Magazine, March 25, 2009
• Profile: “St. Louis Character: Chet Pleban”, by Rick Desloge, St. Louis Business Journal, November 19, 2006
• 2011 – Present Listed in the 2011 Super Lawyers, criminal defense category
• Martindale-Hubbell rating: AV Preeminent
• 1988 – 1989 Fellow, Leadership St. Louis, a Danforth Foundation
• 1990 Outstanding Service Award, Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
• 1989 – 1993 Legal Advisor, Internal Affairs Division, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department
• 1989 – 1993 General Counsel, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department
• National Law Institute, United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation Academy
• Member, U.S. Senator Christopher Bond’s National Affairs Policy Roundtable Committee
• Fellow, Who’s Who in the Midwest
• 1972 – 1974 Legal Intern, U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration

Publications

• Author, Conviction of Innocence, a fictionalized account of a true story involving a St. Louis police officer charged with murdering a suspect during an arrest
• “A New Look at Habeas Corpus Practice. A review of New Missouri Post Conviction Rules and Procedures and Federal Habeas Corpus Strategies.”
• Author and Publisher: “Brief Cases”, a legal publication of appellate decisions