About Tom Plunkett

Thomas C. Plunkett is a criminal defense attorney licensed to defend you in all Minnesota District and Appellate Courts, the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, and the United States Supreme Court. Mr. Plunkett has solved criminal problems for hundreds of people. He has handled a full spectrum of criminal cases ranging from speeding tickets, assault, criminal sexual conduct, possession of child pornography, DWI’s, drug possession – distribution – manufacturing of controlled substances, and murder, to complex white collar crimes.

Mr. Plunkett’s talents have been called upon to help people in such far away places as the United States District Court for the District of Hawaii. Regardless of the location of the court or client, Mr. Plunkett believes that a good defense begins with communication and always requires hard work. As an experienced trial lawyer, Mr. Plunkett will not hesitate to take your case to trial if a positive result cannot be achieved through other means. A plea bargain, according to Mr. Plunkett, must be more bargain than plea. That requires hard work from the beginning to the end to master the special facts of your case.

Mr. Plunkett’s accolades as a criminal trial lawyer are numerous. In his earlier years, he was voted a “Rising Star” by his peers. Since then he has been repeatedly recognized as a “Super Lawyer” by Minnesota Law and Politics, Twin Cities Business Monthly & Mpls./St. Paul Magazine. In 2004, Mr. Plunkett was also recognized as one of the top 40 criminal defense “Super Lawyers” by Minnesota Law and Politics. Mr. Plunkett is honored by these awards because the recipients are voted on by their peers. Historically, these honors have gone to no more than 6% of the lawyers in Minnesota.

Mr. Plunkett is also a member of the Minnesota Society for Criminal Justice (MSCJ). This nationally recognized organization is an invitation only affair, and membership is limited to the top criminal lawyers in the state. Mr. Plunkett is a frequent speaker at CLE’s and is often consulted by colleagues on difficult legal and ethical matters. Though flattered by peer recognition, Mr. Plunkett is most honored when past clients, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and judges recommend his services to family members and friends.

Mr. Plunkett is one of the few defense attorneys in the area familiar with military law. Prior to becoming a lawyer, Mr. Plunkett was an officer and attack helicopter pilot in the United States Army and Army Reserve. After completing law school, Mr. Plunkett left Army Aviation to join the Judge Advocate General (JAG) Corps. Mr. Plunkett’s talents as an attorney were called on by the military to draft the Minnesota Military Code and Minnesota Rules for Court Martial. Mr. Plunkett “wrote the book” for military courts in Minnesota. This code has subsequently been used as the model for many other states.