Years before he entered law school, Matt read Oscar Zeta Acosta’s Autobiography of a Brown Buffalo, a book about a hell-raising lawyer fighting for underrepresented communities – a civil rights lawyer – who inspired Matt to go to law school. After more than 26 years as a public defender, Matt firmly believes that public defense is the civil rights struggle of our era and in the words of Sister Helen Prejean: “The dignity of the human person means that every human being is worth more than the worst thing they’ve ever done. People are complex and we cannot define them based on their worst moments.” For the first 22 years of his career as a public defender, Matt tried misdemeanor, juvenile and felony cases as a trial attorney. He now serves as our Office’s Director of Training, where he uses his vast experience to strengthen the skills and the impact of our team and empower them to advocate with excellence for our vulnerable clients.
Away from the office, Matt is a devoted father and husband who enjoys playing music with his daughter, hoops with his son, and walks with his wife, Cancion, and their dog, Henry.