Joseph Findley, a Platte County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, received the Rising Star Award on March 27 at the Missouri Association of Treatment Court Professionals conference. 

The award is given to an emerging leader within Missouri Treatment Courts who demonstrates an exceptional willingness to learn all aspects of the court system, actively seeks knowledge, and adapts to challenges. Mr. Findley received the award because he not only excels in his current role but also contributes to the continuous improvement and innovation of the courts.

Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd said, "Joe Findley is indeed a rising star, and he's a shining example of the great work assistant prosecutors do around the clock to keep Platte County safe."

Findley has represented Zahnd's office on the DWI Court team since December 2023. He asked to be assigned to that duty because he wanted to balance public safety needs with treatment needs for offenders struggling with substance use disorders.

Judge Amy Ashelford, who helped start the DWI treatment court while serving as an assistant in Zahnd's office and now oversees that court, nominated Findley for the statewide award.

Judge Ashelford said, "Mr. Findley jumped into training, wanting to know everything he could about best practices for treatment court. He understands that if we can identify and treat substance use and mental health disorders for treatment court participants, we'll likely never see many of those people as criminal defendants again, which improves public safety for the entire community."

Platte County's DWI Treatment Court program began in 2011. It was the first treatment court established in the county, which now also provides drug, mental health, and veterans court services. ___ people have successfully graduated from the court, and only a small fraction have committed subsequent crimes, which Zahnd and Ashelford both said is a far better success rate than simply sending offenders to prison. 

Mr. Findley said, "I'm honored to receive this award. And while it's nice to be recognized, I also want to turn the spotlight to all of the assistant prosecutors and non-attorney staff in Platte County who stand on the front lines seeking justice for victims of crime. It's my honor to represent the people of Platte County and the State of Missouri in treatment courts and many other types of cases every day."

A photo of Platte County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Findley receiving the award from Judge Amy Ashelford is attached. If you need additional information, please contact Tanya Faherty, media liaison for the Prosecuting Attorney's Office.