Just got word from the State Prosecutor's office that Matthew Paul died in his sleep last night. Our prayers go out to his family. He was a great asset to me and he will be missed.

He was a great asset to all of us and was a fine gentleman. He always had time to talk to a prosecutor about arcane legal matters. Condolences to his family, friends and co-workers.

Rest in Peace, Matthew.

He never hesitated to help. Always took time to listen to even a pest like me, an investigator needing advice. Matthew was a gentleman in every sense of the word. We have lost a good one.

Truly one of the finest appellate lawyers ever, and so always willing to provide invaluable help to all. He will be sorely missed. We suffer great loss to criminal jurisprudence in Texas on both sides of the bar and all who knew him.

This is an immeasurable loss -- it is such a rarity for someone to be so brilliant, so wise, and so dang nice, too. It stirs up the same feelings I had when Chris Marshall was killed. Another tragedy.

He will be missed by all who knew him. His advise and prep of appeals was invaluable to me. Condolences to his family and friends.

Remarkable to find a criminal lawyer who earned such consistent respect and admiration from judges, defense lawyers, and prosecutors alike, at all levels. A brilliant mind, and a very generous man, graciously sharing his knowledge with that vast majority of us not quite on his intellectual plane. And never allowing it to seem like, what at times surely must have been, an imposition on his time.

Add me to the list of those who had the utmost respect and admiration for Matthew and the job he did. I talked to him on the phone just a couple of weeks ago concerning a legal question I had and he was so gracious to take to time and share his thoughts and knowledge with me. He will be missed. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

Matthew was an excellent prosecutor who helped me out on numerous occasions when I was the only Assistant D.A. for a rural multi-county judicial district. There will be a new State Prosecuting Attorney, but there will never be another Matthew Paul. He will be long remembered.

Matthew Paul and Jeff VanHorn were two of the first prosecutors who would come to my aid when I first started prosecuting.I can't imagine calling that office and not having him cheerfully jump in to help me with a legal question. My prayers are with Matthew's family and Jeff who has worked with him for so many years.Matthew obviously will live on with all of us touched by his brilliant mind and sweet disposition.

Add me to the list. Matthew was never too busy to answer a question. And sometimes took the time to call and ask about your cases as well. He was brilliant. I was constantly in awe of his ability to recall the cases. The State has a lost one in a million.

His teaching award was also so well deserved. It's sad to lose someone who was so knowledgable and at the same time never made you feel stupid. He and his family are in my prayers.

When is the memorial service going to be?

Texas Lawyer
Monday, April 2, 2007


Final Farewell

Matthew Paul of Austin, the state's prosecuting attorney for more than a decade, died on March 25 at the age of 51. Paul, who graduated first in his class at the University of Texas School of Law in 1985, became an assistant state prosecuting attorney in 1987 after serving about two years as an assistant county attorney in Kerrville. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals appointed Paul as state prosecuting attorney in 1996. "He's always been the fairest and most reasonable prosecutor I've ever met," CCA Judge Barbara Hervey says of Paul. Williamson County District Attorney John Bradley says Paul did a great job of professionalizing the Office of the State Prosecuting Attorney and forming good relationships with local prosecutors around the state. Bradley says Paul was in the difficult position of trying to balance the need to have a consistent statewide policy with the sometimes-contrary desires of local prosecutors. "I can't think of a time when he wasn't able to blend those two goals," Bradley says. Hervey says that when Paul argued a case before the CCA, he sat at the counsel table across from where she sits on the bench. Paul never could get his tie right, Hervey says, noting that she finally bought him a tie at a tall men's shop. After that, whenever Paul sat down at the counsel table prior to an argument, he'd always adjust his tie a little, Hervey recalls. Bradley says Paul also was good at presenting and summarizing the law for prosecutors and was a frequent speaker at the annual conference of the Texas District and County Attorneys Association. In 2005, the TDCAA presented Paul with the C. Chris Marshall Distinguished Faculty Award for outstanding contributions to the education of Texas prosecutors.

Here's what that site says about the memorial service:

A memorial service will be held at the State Capitol auditorium (Room E1.004) in Austin on Friday, April 13 at 3:30 p.m.

Here's a link:

In Memoriam - Matthew Paul

TDCAA is collecting notes of remembrance about Matthew to pass on to his wife, Lisa, and the rest of his family. We'd love to have any written notes you'd like to pass along. Please e-mail them to me at beckham@tdcaa.com no later than April 11. Thanks.