Kiyo A. Matsumoto

I wish the court system cloned a judge like Kiyo Matsumoto. She is beyond brilliant, yet extraordinarily honest. She is very fair and her sole objective is to interpret the law as it was codified.

Firm but fair in the criminal context. Reads everything and knows the case better than counsel. Smartest one in the room but an abundance of modesty. Judge will give you every opportunity to best represent your client. Will not tolerate anything but the unadulterated truth in or out of the courtroom, so you have to do the work. A better draw in a criminal or even civil case, I cannot imagine -- for either party!

Judge Matsumoto is a star on the EDNY bench, with a keen, sharp mind, expertly analyzing the issues and quickly delivering a bullet-proof decision. Whether your side prevails or not, you always feel that you were given a generous opportunity to litigate your case and that you received the best justice possible in her courtroom. Firm, but not inflexible. Fair, but not soft. A great legal mind, but never speaks down to you. On a sentencing last year, she imposed a below-guildeine sentence when presented with modest 3553(a) background and charachter evidence. I would suggest the not-insignificant custodial term imposed was the fairest administration of justice under the circumstances. But she could just as easily imposed a guideline term and I still would have felt that we were treated faily. Perhaps, she sees the case better than counsel. In sum, she's decent, kind, fair and smart. What more could you ask for?