For Immediate Release: March 31, 2015

Contact: Mike Guarino (585) 230-0173 or (585) 889-1180

Media Release:

Marine Colonel Matthew Nafus Announces

Candidacy for State Supreme Court Judge
(ROCHESTER, NY --) Matthew D. Nafus, a Colonel in the United States Marine Corps Reserve and former
Assistant District Attorney, announced his candidacy for New York State Supreme Court, 7th Judicial District. The
7th Judicial District covers eight counties: Monroe, Livingston, Ontario, Wayne, Seneca, Steuben, Cayuga and Yates.
A lawyer with over two decades of experience, Nafus is in private practice in Scottsville, focusing on
litigation, estate and family law while advising on continuing operations in the war on terror.
Prior to launching his law practice, Nafus was a Senior Assistant District Attorney in Monroe County from
1997 to 2006, prosecuting major felony cases such as murder and robbery through trial and sentencing.
He is an Iraq War veteran, having been mobilized to active duty twice following the terrorists attacks of 2001.
He was the Company Commander of the 8th Tank Battalion in Rochester during the attacks and served at Camp Al
Taqaddum, Iraq, as the Staff Judge Advocate advising the Commanding General. Nafus also served as legal advisor to
the Commanding General in 2011 during Operation Unified Protector, which was the NATO campaign to remove
Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. He began his legal career as a Judge Advocate in the Marine Corps, stationed in
Twentynine Palms, Calif.
The Democratic Party is proud to have Nafus as a candidate for Supreme Court, said Dave Garretson, chair
of Monroe County Democratic Committee.
His qualifications are simply unparalleled, as are his ethics, Garretson said. Supreme Court is a court of
general jurisdiction, meaning it handles both civil and criminal matters. Matt Nafus is the strongest candidate for this
position because he has handled both at the highest levels.
Rochester attorney Kevin Saunders served with Nafus in the Marine Corps for almost 20 years and touts his
leadership skills.
Col. Nafus was one of the officers at my first duty station, 8th Tank Battalion, Saunders said. He was a
confident, able leader who took time to interact with his Marines. Years later,when I joined the officer ranks, I had the
opportunity to get to know Matt even better and see the amount of care and attention to detail he put into his
planning and training.
Nafus graduated from Fordham University School of Law in 1991 and has a BA degree in political science
from New York University. He lives in Brighton with his wife Mary Chao, a reporter at the Democrat and Chronicle,
and 13 year-old daughter Noelle. Nafus is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion
Cooper Marine Post in Rochester. He is a competitive athlete, active in hockey and endurance races.
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