Lathrop GPM partner dedicates career to fighting for the wrongfully imprisoned

Matthew Jacober, a partner at Lathrop GPM, practices in an array of areas including white collar defense and investigations, litigation, class action defense, health law and trust and estate law. However, one of his most notable practice areas is a field with little recognition or funding and plenty of heartbreak — he spends his time working to free those who are wrongfully incarcerated.

Earlier this year, Jacober was named president of the board of directors for the Midwest Innocence Project which he has worked with for several years beginning as an attorney representing Laquanda “Faye” Jacobs who as a teen, was sentenced to life in an Arkansas prison for a murder she did not commit.

“The conviction happened when she was 17 and she served a long time (…) 26 years in Arkansas State Prison,” he said. “There’s a line of cases from the US Supreme Court (…) with the Supreme Court saying that sentences of life in prison for anyone who has any mental challenges is improper. And then that was extended to juveniles as well. So, we were working on Faye’s case in two avenues. One was a habeas corpus petition that was in federal court and then the other was a re-sentencing in Arkansas State Court.”

As Jacober negotiated with the Arkansas prosecutor in Jacobs case, the prosecutor offered a deal that led to Jacober present her with an incredibly difficult decision.

“As we were really getting ready to push on discovery and moving forward with the habeas corpus, the prosecutor made an offer to us for Faye,” Jacober said. “She could either agree to being resentenced to time served and would be released that day, or decline that, remain in prison and proceed forward with her habeas corpus.”

Jacobs took the deal and was released in 2018 with Jacober and MIP’s help. Jacober said the decision to take the deal or not take it weighed heavily on him.

“I didn’t know what I would do. I would have been torn. But I certainly understand she had family issues that she wanted to be around for. Her parents were aging, and she wanted to be able to help take care of them and get back into the world,” he said. “It was very difficult to explain what she was giving up and to make sure that she fully understood it and appreciated that she was giving some things up. Because when you’re released from prison and you still have a felony conviction on your record, it makes your life much more difficult. Jobs are harder to get, apartments are harder to get, loans are hard, everything’s harder. And on top of that, one thing that exoneration can potentially bring to people is the civil side, the civil lawsuit”

Jacober has kept up with Jacobs’ success after her release and says she is thriving.

“She had to kind of remake her life all on her own and she has done a phenomenal job. She runs her own business in Kansas City,” Jacober said. “She’s one of the happiest people I’ve ever met in my life. She doesn’t let that bitterness overwhelm her and is somebody that I hold in really high esteem, because she’s been able to move forward with her life and make the best out of her situation.”

While Jacobs’ case will always stick with Jacober, she is not the last person he has helped, or plans to help, with the Midwest Innocence Project.

Handling the Heartbreak

The work isn’t without its heartbreak and trauma.

Last year, Jacober was part of the legal team and served as special counsel for St. Louis County representing Marcellus Williams. The St. Louis prosecutor used a newer law allowing prosecutors to challenge old convictions to file a motion asking the court to vacate Williams’ murder conviction.

Williams was sentenced to death for the murder of Felicia Gayle, a former St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter who was killed in 1998. Throughout his life Williams maintained his innocence in the case, and then-prosecutor Wesley Bell filed the motion to vacate when DNA evidence ruled Williams out as a suspect.

Despite this and despite the intervention of the Midwest Innocence Project and Jacober, Williams was put to death on September 24, 2024.

“It was a very difficult case for a lot of different reasons, and we received information, really at the 11th hour of the originally scheduled trial, the DNA evidence we thought was going to be very convincing wasn’t what we thought it was going to be,” Jacober said. “So, we had to pivot quickly and ultimately, the case didn’t work out for us, and Marcellus was executed by the state of Missouri.”

That was devastating for Jacober and the rest of Williams’ legal team. He took a step back from innocence cases as a result.

“It was very, very traumatic. You…I don’t know how you handle it to be very candid with you. I think the only solace I take is we did the best we could, we worked as hard as we could, we presented the best case we could and we gave Marcellus the best shot at not being executed,” Jacober said. “Ultimately, the judge didn’t agree with us and that happens sometimes. We think we put on sufficient evidence. The judge didn’t and that’s how it goes sometimes. I’m still processing that, to be candid.”

While Jacober needed this break to process Williams’ death, he says he is ready to take on the next case.

“I’m ready and when the right case comes along, I’ll get involved again,” Jacober said.

In addition to Jacobs and Williams, Jacober worked on Lamar Johnson’s case, ultimately leading to his release from prison where he was sentenced for a murder he did not commit. Before his release, Johnson spent 28 years behind bars.

The man behind the mound of files

Service has been baked into Jacober’s career since he was a child. It is fitting that he became an Eagle Scout and now says he credits going into the legal field because of his desire to help others.

“Growing up in a family-run business, I saw firsthand the challenges and opportunities that business owners face,” Jacober’s firm website biography says. “I wanted to be the one to help navigate those complexities. The thrill of competition and the satisfaction of solving challenging, complicated problems also drive me to find the best solutions for clients.”

He told Missouri Lawyers Media that this is what keeps him in the field as well.

“I love to help people. I think I’m good at solving problems, at looking for creative, or maybe not apparent solutions for problems. And what gets me out of bed in the morning is trying to help people solve their problems and help them work through disputes that that come with life,” Jacober said.

When he is not at work, Jacober prioritizes spending time with his family, including his 21-year-old son, wife and three dogs.

Jacober was named president of the Board of Directors for the Midwest Innocence Project in February. In addition to this work, he serves as chair of the pro bono committee at Lathrop GPM.