About
Samuel Gearhart
Attorney at Law — Criminal Defense
Samuel Gearhart — Springfield, Missouri
Professional background
Samuel earned his B.A. in History from Missouri State University in 2012 and went on to receive his J.D. from The University of Tulsa College of Law in 2015. While in law school, he distinguished himself by earning CALI Excellence for the Future Awards—honors reserved for the student achieving the highest grade in the class—in Criminal Procedure: Police Practices, Criminal Procedure: Adjudication, and Decedents’ Estates and Trusts.
Upon passing the Missouri Bar in 2015, Samuel began his legal career at the Public Defender’s Office in Bolivar. There he devoted thousands of hours to the courtrooms of southwest Missouri, representing indigent clients in more than 1,500 cases spanning the full range of criminal charges, from misdemeanors to murders. Through skillful advocacy and negotiation, he secured hundreds of dismissals, giving many clients a genuine second chance.
Samuel joined a small criminal defense firm in Springfield as an associate attorney in 2023. Over the next two years he gained invaluable experience in high-stakes jury trials, appearing throughout Missouri’s state and municipal courts, sharpening the trial skills and strategic judgment that continue to define his practice.
In 2025, he crossed the courtroom aisle to serve as an assistant prosecutor with the Webster County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in Marshfield. In that role he prosecuted the complete spectrum of criminal matters—from traffic tickets to murder—gaining a rare and comprehensive perspective on how cases are built, charged, and tried from the state’s side.
Samuel founded Gearhart Law in 2026 with a clear purpose: to bring the depth of experience he has gained on both sides of the criminal justice system to the people of southwest Missouri. Today he represents clients charged with crimes in Missouri state and municipal courts, combining trial-tested advocacy with a deep understanding of the system to protect the rights and futures of those he represents.
The case results described above reflect the specific facts and circumstances of the matters Samuel handled. They are not a promise or guarantee of any particular outcome, and the result in any case depends on its own facts, the applicable law, and the court involved.
Education & Credentials
–B.A. History, Missouri State University, 2012
–J.D., The University of Tulsa College of Law, 2015 — full-ride scholarship
–Admitted to the Missouri Bar, 2015
–Three CALI Awards for the highest grade in the class — Criminal Procedure: Police Practices, Criminal Procedure: Adjudication, and Decedents’ Estates and Trusts
–Public Defender’s Office, Bolivar — 2015 to 2023
–Criminal defense associate, Springfield — 2023 to 2025
–Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Webster County — 2025 to 2026
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