Brian J. Matthews
Alternate Defender
Brian Matthews leads the Alternate Defender Office for Santa Clara and has been defending indigent clients for over 25 years. He has specialized in homicide defense, including the defense of capital cases. In addition to his trial practice, Mr. Matthews has argued in the Court of the Appeal and at the California Supreme Court. Mr. Matthews graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Latin American Studies and obtained his law degree from University of California Law San Francisco (formerly Hastings College of Law). Mr. Matthews served as an update author for the Cal. Criminal Law Procedure and Practice manual; taught at the Bryan Shechmeister Death Penalty College; and taught trial skills to law school and high school students. He is proud to lead an office with over 20 lawyers providing top-flight criminal defense to indigent clients.
