Jordan Van Matre

Special Licenses/Certifications:

• Bill Daniels Trial Advocacy Graduate, 2017
• Certified by the Georgia Public Defender Standards Counsel to defend Death Penalty cases, 2018
• Admitted to the United States Supreme Court Bar, 2018
• Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 2016

Bar/Professional Activity:

• State v. Williams, 2020. Successfully Prosecuted and won a Motion to Suppress without the benefit of discovery. Successfully established the police had no probable cause to contact my client or search him in the manner they did. , 2020
• Admission to the United States Supreme Court. Applied and became a member of the United States Supreme Court. Sworn in before the justices in Washington D.C. upon motion to Chief Judge Roberts, 2018
• The Atlanta Lawyers Club, 2019
• Georgia Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers ("GACDL"), 2016
• 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. Became a member of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals, 2014
• United States District Court, Middle District of Georgia. Barred in 2014, 2015
• United States District Court, Northern District of Georgia. Became barred by the Federal District and Bankruptcy Courts of the Northern District of Georgia, 2010
• Georgia Supreme Court. Became a member of the Supreme Court of Georgia, 2012
• Court of Appeals for the State of Georgia. Barred in 2012., 2012
• Georgia State Bar. Admitted to the practice of law in the State of Georgia, 2010

Pro bono/Community Service:

• Took case pro bono for convicted sex offender. Client was 21 at time of offense, a female, and truly a victim of her circumstances. She originally pled guilty for an offense that arose because she was dependent on a wealthier man who was bidding her to perform certain acts for money and drugs. She stayed in and out of prison, probation, and parole on unrelated charges. She was classified as a level two sex offender. I challenged the classification, and the SORRB affirmed. We appealed that decision to the Fulton County Superior Court, and won. She was reclassified as a level one offender. We then successfully had her removed from the sex offender registry after a two year battle. This was pro bono work., 2016
• "Team Jesus" - Jail Ministry I am volunteering as a minister and teacher for inmates at the Henry County Jail. 

Scholarly Lectures/Writings:

• I was asked by Judge Studdard - the author of the book, to contribute any forms I had that may be helpful to the practice of criminal law. I included a special demurrer to an indictment with which I had great success with, as well as a Petition for Removal from the Sex Offender Registry, and a Petition for Judicial Review of Sex Offender Classification. The works were published in the 2019/2020 edition., Author of three criminal forms published in "Daniels" Georgia Criminal Trial Practice Forms, 2019-2020 ed., Ben W. Studdard., Special Demurrer to Indictment, Petition for Removal from Sex-Offender Registry, Petition for Judicial Review of Sex-Offender Classification, "Daniels" Georgia Criminal Trial Practice Forms, 2019-2020 ed., Ben W. Studdard., Criminal Law, 2019

Verdicts/Settlements:

• Bruce v. Too, 2019. Represented passenger in rear-end collision. Client suffered torn rotator cuff. Obtained policy limits of $125,000 and negotiated her bills so she could obtain her surgery. , 2019
• State v. Sherry Hall, 2020. Represented former police officer who was charged, arrested, indicted, and tried for 11 counts related to the State's claim that she staged an "officer involved shooting" that was made up. She was charged with 4 counts of felony false statement, four counts of violation of oath predicated on those false statements, and other felonies. She was sentenced to 38 serve 15 - with no application of merger or rule of lenity. I filed a motion for new trial and to modify sentence, arguing, among other claims, that prosecution of VOO was vague, and that the trial court failed to properly merge and apply ROL. I also argued that her Garity rights were violated. Negotiated a resolution to permit a new trial, and enter a plea to two counts - one felony false statement and one other felony. 10 serve 5, credit for time served. She should be out in 20 months. , 2020
• Cook v. Too, 2019. Represented driver of vehicle rear-ended by at-fault driver. Soft Tissue Injuries. Obtained policiy limits settlements on at-fault policy and UM, total of $125,000.00, 2019
• Cochran v. Cochran, 2018. Represented ex-wife of plaintiff, who sued her in contempt of original divorce decree that required her to make monthly payments to him and other matters. Successfully argued that the divorce agreement was null and void because it was not approved by the bankruptcy court for my client, who was at the time in a chapter 13 bankruptcy. Trial Court agreed with our argument and my client prevailed., 2018
• Woodall v. Johnson, Appeal. Represented client Beau Woodall in petition by ex-wife's husband to terminate his rights and adopt the child. Trial court granted the petition over our strenuous objection and amply proved case. Appealed to the Court of Appeals, who reversed the trial court's decision., 2019
• Ronnie Goins v. Benjamin Summerfield. Soft-Tissue Injury from head-on collision. Settlement of $50,000.00., 2017
• State vs. David Watts, 2018 Verdict of Not Guilty, Aggravated Child Molestation and related charges. Client accused of abusing step-granddaughter in the home. Outcry was made to child's mother, who had also been allegedly abused by Defendant when the mother was younger. At trial, evidence was admitted against Defendant that he had engaged in three separate similar transactions with adolescent girls, had been charged, and convicted or entered pleas. These witnesses testified against him at trial. Through use of expert testimony, client testimony, and persuasive theory of the case, we successfully persuaded the jury that he was not guilty. Verdict of Not guilty on all counts., 2018
• State v. Sean Evans, 2018 Criminal Jury Trial on murder and related counts. Verdict of guilty to reduced charge of Voluntary Manslaughter. Indigent Client represented on appointed basis. Client was involved in a "gang-on-gang" shooting. Client admitted to being involved, confessed to shooting. Through careful cross examination and expert witnesses, we argued self-defense, as there was a confirmed "hit" on the client's life. After a week-long jury trial, client was convicted only of manslaughter. Successfully argued that the felony murder conviction merged into the manslaughter conviction for a lower and parolable sentence., 2018
• State v. Keisha Wingfield, 2018 Criminal Jury Trial on traffic offense in Gwinnett County. Verdict: Not Guilty. Client given traffic citation after being in an accident that was not her fault. Despite being on dash cam of passerby, State would not dismiss. Conducted jury trial, verdict of not guilty in 25 minutes., 2018
• State v. John Chris Christopher, 2018. Hung Jury, Aggravated Child Molestation reduced to simple battery. Client was accused by two step-daughters of abuse during five year period of time. Client hired separate lawyer, conducted inconclusive polygraph. Client retained our firm. We prosecuted a special demurrer to the date range of the indictment, and successfully quashed the first indictment. The second indictment actually narrowed the date range to a specific date for one offense, for which Defendant had solid alibi. We prosecuted a motion to declare the rape shield statute unconstitutional, and permit questioning into the victims character. All were denied. Conducted 10-day jury trial, with extensive witnesses and expert testimony, and powerful client testimony, and obtained a hung jury of 11-1, 11 for Not Guilty. Mistrial declared, and negotiated a plea to simple battery on new accusation with no sex offender registration, no fine, and no jail. Client reunited with family., 2018
• Barbara Watts v. John Doe. Hit-and-Run Driver, Settlement. Client injured in severe hit-and-run accident. At-fault driver fled the scene. Client obtained $50,000 settlement for soft-tissue injuries., 2018

Other Outstanding Achievements:

• I successfully argued and took a case to the Georgia Supreme Court. Clients were pulled over for minor traffic violation. Officer examined their licenses, during which time a drug dog conducted a free air sniff. Drugs were found. The Trial Court suppressed the evidence. As a prosecutor, I appealed. The Court of Appeals affirmed the Trial Court's ruling. I petitioned or cert, which was granted. My work and legal research and briefs were used to ultimately persuade the Georgia Supreme Court that the search was lawful because it occurred during a time when police were engaged in activity that was within the scope of permissible police encounters in the context of a traffic stop. However, I had already entered into private practice at the time of oral arguments., 2015

Videos:

• This is a firm-profile video for the personal injury practice of The Law Office of Jordan K. Van Matre, P.C., Firm Profile, the Law Office of Jordan Van Matre, Car Accident, Dog Bite, Personal Injury, Plaintiff Lawyer, Trial Lawyer, Trucking Accident, 2018

Educational Background:

• Double Major in Political Science and Humanities, with Minor Degree in Religion. Cum Laude. President of Young Republicans Club. President of Political Science Club. Vice President of Student Government Association Junior and Senior Year. Internship with then Senator Jeff Sessions.