Does the Design and Operation of the American Criminal Justice System Reflect Christian Love of Neighbor?
In his forthcoming book Reforming Criminal Justice: A Christian Proposal, Matthew T. Martens argues that love of neighbor (Luke 10:27) must be the animating force for true reformation of the criminal justice system. We must ask, how does Scripture guide our love for both the criminally victimized and the criminally accused?
Drawing from his 25-year experience as a federal prosecutor and defense attorney, Martens contends that by bettering our understanding of how our current system operates and considering how love of neighbor relates to issues of crime and justice, we will be better equipped to seek true Christian reform of the justice system.
Join us on February 16th to hear Matthew T. Martens reflect on:
A biblical perspective on criminal justice and a biblical framework for thinking about the concept of justice for both the victim and the perpetrator
The History of the American Criminal Justice System and its racist misuses from the time of the Civil War to the Civil Rights Movement
An assessment of the criminal justice system today, including plea bargains, assistance of counsel, the death penalty, and more
Evening Schedule:
5:15 PM: Hors d’oeuvres and meet-and-greet w/ Matthew T. Martens
6:00 PM: Matthew T. Martens speaking on the topic of his book, followed by audience Q+A
This event is cosponsored by the North Carolina Study Center, InterVarsity Faculty Ministries, and the Christian Legal Society of the UNC School of Law.
Speaker Bio: Matt Martens has been a lawyer for nearly 27 years after graduating first in his class from the UNC School of Law (J.D., ‘96). At the outset of his legal career, he spent two years in Washington, DC serving as a law clerk for a federal court of appeals judge and then to Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist at the US Supreme Court.
In the years that followed, he’s worked both as a federal prosecutor (9 years) and as a criminal defense attorney (11 years), handling cases including capital murder, securities fraud, drug trafficking, firearms violations, child pornography, mortgage fraud, voter fraud, and public corruption. He is currently a partner in the Washington, DC office of WIlmerHale, one of the world's largest law firms.
Mr. Martens also attended seminary part-time at Dallas Theological Seminary, graduating first in his class with a master's degree in biblical studies in 2010.
He currently lives in northern Virginia with his wife of nearly 28 years and youngest son. His two older children are in college at Furman University. He and his family are members of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC.