Grellner recognized as prosecutor of the year

Amanda L. Grellner will receive the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys’ 2026 Prosecutor of the Year award for her service over the past year.

Grellner has served as the elected prosecuting attorney for Osage County since 2002. A graduate of the University of Missouri School of Law, she has tried more than 30 jury trials throughout her tenure as prosecuting attorney.

Grellner is on the Missouri Sentencing Advisory Commission, the Supreme Court of Missouri Treatment Court Committee, the board of the Missouri Prosecuting Attorneys and Circuit Attorneys Retirement System, and is a member of the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys. She is chair of the Part-Time Prosecutors Committee and of the board of the Community Health Center of Central Missouri.

Grellner previously received the Pro Bono Award from The Missouri Bar.

Grellner said the responsibility of prosecutors to “seek justice for victims and hold offenders accountable” requires approaching each case with “integrity and sound judgment,” recognizing that their duty is to the “pursuit of justice, not to winning at all costs.”

“Serving as prosecuting attorney in Osage County, the community where I grew up, is a profound privilege,” Grellner said. “The personal connection to this community deepens my commitment to the work and underscores the importance of maintaining the public’s trust through ethical and just prosecution.”

Grellner said receiving the award was “deeply humbling and profoundly meaningful.” She said it carried special significance because it acknowledged the contributions of a part-time prosecutor.

“Every day, prosecutors across Missouri — many of them part-time — work long hours in their communities, often with limited resources and substantial demands,” Grellner said. “We do this work because we believe in justice and in service to our communities.”

Grellner will accept the Prosecutor of the Year Award in Kansas City during the Annual Meeting of The Missouri Bar and Judicial Conference, Sept. 16-18.

Click here to learn more about annual awards presented by The Missouri Bar, the Missouri Bar Foundation, and other entities. Read about other 2026 award winners here.