Jeffrey Thoma

At present, Jeffrey Thoma practices criminal defense at both the trial and appellate levels and serves as a consultant on forensic science issues, particularly those involving DNA evidence. From 2004 to 2010, he served as the Public Defender for Solano County, where he oversaw more than 50 lawyers and a total staff of 86 professionals. His jurisdiction also encompassed a Conflict Defender office. Beyond training employees, Jeffrey Thoma developed and supervised the overall budget.

Before joining the Solano County Department of the Public Defender, Jeffrey Thoma fulfilled similar responsibilities in Ukiah, California, where he directed the Department of the Public Defender for Mendocino County from 1997 to 2004. In addition to handling budgetary and personnel concerns, he managed the caseload by distributing felony cases between himself and his fellow attorneys. In addition, Mr. Thoma launched an Alternate Defender office and organized 20 day-long training workshops to help lawyers and other employees better fulfill the duties of their positions.

In other legal work, Jeffrey Thoma currently lends his insights to the National Community Sentencing Association Board of Directors, which he has led as President since 2008. He also acts as a Faculty Member of the National Drug Court Institute. Since 2009, he has served on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He has served as Co-Chair of NACDL's Death Penalty Committee for the past two years and has chaired the Forensic Science Seminar since 2007.

Mr. Thoma has appeared before the United States, California, and Nevada Supreme Courts and has specialized in capital litigation and DNA cases for the past twenty years. From 1996 to 2001, he served as a commissioner on the United States Department of Justice's Commission on the Future of DNA Evidence, and he has lectured and been published on this subject and others nationwide. He is also a faculty member at the Death Penalty College at Santa Clara University School of Law and for the State of Hawaii Annual Public Defender Conference.

Jeffrey Thoma holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a JD from the University of San Diego School of Law. When not working, he enjoys playing tennis, and he is a donor to the Southern Center for Human Rights.