Brockton D. Hunter

Minneapolis Criminal Defense Attorney Protecting Your Rights

Criminal Defense Attorney Brockton D. Hunter proudly defends the rights of individuals in both state and federal courts. He has a strong background of providing powerful legal guidance to his clients, in and out of the courtroom. Clients who come to Brockton D. Hunter, P.A. can trust that their case will be handled with the highest level of professionalism. Since the firm's establishment, Attorney Hunter has been offering award-winning representation throughout Minnesota for clients facing a wide range of criminal matters.

Background & Recognitions

Selected to Super Lawyers® Every Year Since 2011

Attorney Brock has former experience as a U.S. Army Recon Scout. In this position, he focused his defense on the psychologically injured veterans dealing with criminal court and was able to advocate on their behalf within the justice system. Throughout the years of his professional career, Attorney Hunter has honed his legal skills to ensure that clients are receiving the best possible representation for their legal matter.

Following are some of his most notable recognitions:

Serving as the President and Legislative Chair for the Minnesota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (MACDL)
Received the Special Achievement Award in 2009 from MACDL
Received the 2011 Professional Excellence Award – This is the Minnesota State Bar Association’s “most prestigious award” which recognizes his efforts to advance the legal profession as a whole as well as the administration of justice
Been selected as a “Rising Star” (2006 – 2009)- A peer reviewed recognition and a “Super Lawyer” (2011 – Present)

He also has experience helping draft and lead the passage of Minnesota’s Veterans Sentencing Litigation Act, Minn. Stat. 609.115, Subd. 10., which was then cited in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case, Porter v. McCollum, 130 S. Ct. 447, at 455, n.9 (2009). Those are cases that first addressed combat trauma in criminal sentencing.

Other actions he has taken include:

Helping to pass similar veteran sentencing legislation in other states
Has been called on to brief the Obama Presidential Transition Team
Spoken to leadership of the Department of Defense & the Department of Veterans Affairs on the best ways to address troubled veterans who allegedly commit crimes
Trained thousands of attorneys, judges, law enforcement officers, and mental health professionals across the country on the above

In addition, he is the lead editor and co-author of the book, “The Attorney’s Guide to Defending Veterans in Criminal Court.” He is also the co-founder and President of the Veterans Defense Project, a non-profit organization committed to helping veterans involved in the justice system.

American Bar Association
- Co-Chair Military Justice Committee, Criminal Law Section
- Member Commission on Homelessness and Poverty
National Association of Drug Court Professionals/Justice for Vets
- Board Member, 2019 – Present
- Chair of Veterans Treatment Court Committee, 2020 – Present
Minnesota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (MACDL)
- President, 2011
- Board of Directors, 2005-2011
- Legislative Committee Chair, 2005-2011
- Special Achievement Award, 2009
Minnesota State Bar Association
- Professional Excellence Award, 2011
  - Minnesota State Bar Association’s Highest Honor
Named as a Super Lawyer
- 2011 – Present
Named as a Minnesota Rising Star in the area of criminal defense, 2006-2009
Editor and co-author of the treatise, The Attorney’s Guide to Defending Veterans in Criminal Court, available at www.veteransdefenseproject.org.
Co-Founder and Chair of the Veterans Defense Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to public policy advocacy and education to promote vigorous and effective defense of veterans in America’s criminal courts.
Drafted and led passage of the Veterans’ Sentencing Mitigation Act (Minn. Stat. §609.115, Subd. 10) through the Minnesota Legislature in 2008, later cited by the U.S. Supreme Court in Porter v. McCollum, 130 S.Ct. 447 (2009)(See Footnote 9).
Briefed the Obama Presidential Transition Team on veterans in the criminal justice system, January 2009.
Spoke on veterans in the criminal justice system before leadership of the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, D.C., September 2009.
Member of Veterans Court Working Group that planned and implemented Minnesota’s first Veterans Court.
Consulted in passage of veterans sentencing legislation in Illinois, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and other states.

Community Activities

Superior Kayak & Outdoor Adventure Club (“SKOAC”)
- Co-Founder, former Board Member and President of the Twin Cities-based sea kayaking and general outdoor sports organization. Club web site: www.skoac.org
Member of Environmental Crossing of Lake Superior (“ECOLS”) ’99 Expedition Team
- Completed an 88-mile unsupported sea kayak crossing of Lake Superior, with four other sea kayakers, done in cooperation with the Nation Wildlife Federation, to draw attention to the Great Lakes’ imperiled health.
Frequent member of wilderness expeditions to remote, beautiful places.

PRESENTATIONS

University of Arizona Law School, Tucson, AZ, April 6, 2022
Minnesota County Attorneys Association, Minneapolis, MN (via Zoom), March 30, 2022
Minnesota State Public Defenders, Minneapolis, MN (Via Zoom), February 24, 2022
2nd Judicial District Judges, St. Paul, MN (via Zoom), October 29, 2021
3rd Judicial District Veterans Treatment Court Staff, Rochester, MN (via Zoom), October 29th, 2021
Minnesota Office of Administrative Hearings, St. Paul, MN (via Zoom), May 3, 2021
Keynote, 6th Annual Ohio Veterans Summit, (via Zoom), November 19th, 2020
Defending Veterans in Capital Cases Conference, New York, NY (via Zoom), October 30, 2020
Minnesota Judicial Branch Live Statewide Webcast, Judicial Center, August 7, 2019
Vet Court Con, Washington, D.C., July 14, 2019
Veterans of Foreign Wars Leadership, Washington, D.C., June 12, 2019
Baltimore Death Penalty Mitigation Training, Advancing Real Change, Baltimore, MD, May 18, 2019
MN Dept. of Corrections’ Annual Conference, Breezy Point, MN, May 7, 2019
National District Attorneys’ Association Annual Leadership Summit, Austin, TX, April 5, 2019
Texas Veterans’ Mental Health Symposium, El Paso, TX, Mar. 6, 2019
Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, Minneapolis, MN, Feb. 12, 2019
Dakota County Attorney’s Office, Hastings, MN, Jan. 11, 2019
Carver County Attorney’s Office, Chaska, MN, Dec. 7, 2018
Scott County Attorney’s Office, Shakopee, MN Dec. 6, 2018
Minnesota Veterans Services Organizations’ Commanders’ Task Force, St. Paul, MN, Nov. 19, 2018
Texas Mental Health Symposium, Texas Tech Law School, Lubbock, TX, Nov. 16, 2018
Wisconsin State Public Defenders’ Annual Conference, Milwaukee, WI, Nov. 1, 2019
Disabled American Veterans, St. Paul, MN Oct. 5, 2018
Suburban Hennepin County Prosecutors, Bloomington, MN Sept. 14, 2018
Minnesota County Veteran Services Officers’ Annual conference, Grandview Lodge, Sept. 11, 2018
Minnesota County Attorneys’ Association Leadership Summit, Rutgers Bay, MN, Sept. 7, 2018
1st Judicial District All-Staff Training, Lakeville, MN, Sept. 5 – 6, 2018
National Veterans Court Conference, Houston, TX, May 29, 2018
Ramsey County Prosecutors, White Bear Lake, MN, May 11, 2018
Federal Defender Investigator National Conference, Bloomington, MN, May 8, 2018
Minnesota Treatment Court Initiative Members and Staff, Minnesota Judicial Center, Apr. 18th, 2018
MN CLE Webcast, Statewide Legal Training Broadcast, Mar. 29, 2018
Missouri State Public Defenders Annual Conference, St. Louis, Missouri, March 23, 2018
Stearns County Veterans Court and Related Stakeholders, St. Cloud, MN, Nov. 5, 2017
Carver County Veterans Court and Related Stakeholders, Chaska, MN, Oct. 27, 2017
Federal Public Defenders National Conference, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, August 25, 2017
Minnesota Criminal Justice Institute, Minneapolis, Minnesota, August 23, 2017
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans Annual Conference, Washington D.C., June 1, 2017
Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan Annual Conference, Detroit, Michigan, March 17, 2017
Minnesota State Public Defenders Conference, October 15, 2016
Kansas Federal Defender Annual Training, Lawrence, Kansas, Apr. 22, 2016
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, The Science of the Mind: Litigating Mental Health in Criminal Cases, Austin, Texas, Feb. 19, 2016
Ohio Attorney General’s Veteran Criminal Justice Conference, Columbus, OH, Dec. 3, 2015
Virginia State Police Critical Incident Training, Norfolk, VA, Oct. 19, 2015
Vet Court Con, Washington, D.C., July 27 – 29, 2015
Kentucky State Public Defenders Conference, Lexington, KY, June 17, 2015
Kentucky State Bar Association Conference, Lexington, KY, June 17, 2015
Federal Public Defender Investigator Training, San Diego, CA, Apr. 17, 2015
Arkansas State Specialty Courts Conference, Little Rock, AR, Apr. 9, 2015
San Diego Public Defenders Office, San Diego, CA, Mar. 9, 2015
American Society of Criminology Conference, San Francisco, CA, Nov. 22, 2014
Veterans’ Defense Conference, New York State Public Defenders, Albany, NY, Oct. 17, 2014
CIT (Crisis Intervention Training) International Conference, Monterey, CA, Oct. 15, 2014
National Legal Aid
Community Oriented Defenders Network, Washington D.C., July 23—24, 2014
Florida Partners in Crisis Conference, Orlando, FL, July 2, 2014
Vet Court Con, Anaheim, CA, May 30 – 31, 2014
Ohio Veterans Courts, Marion, OH, May 22, 2014
Delaware Public Defenders’ Capital Case Conference, Wilmington, DE, May 2, 2014
University of Cincinnati Law School, Cincinnati, OH, Feb. 21, 2014
Vet Court Con, Washington D.C., December 2 – 4, 2013
National Criminal Defense Forum on Forensic Mental Health & the Law, Denver, CO, September 19-20, 2013
Louisiana Public Defenders’ Investigator Workshop – Investigating Veterans Cases, Baton Rouge, LA, July 15-16, 2013.
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ Annual Leadership Retreat, Washington D.C., May 31, 2013.
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans’ Annual Conference, Washington D. C., May 29 – 30, 2013.
Texas District Judges Association’s Spring Training Conference, Lubbock, TX, March 21, 2013.
Los Angeles Public Defender’s Office, Los Angeles, CA, November 16th, 2012.
Santa Barbara Criminal Court System, Santa Barbara, CA, November 15th, 2012.
Communicating for Life: Capital Defenders Training, Louisiana Public Defenders, Baton Rouge, LA, October 24, 2012
American Bar Association’s 2012 Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, August 3, 2012
Community Oriented Defender Conference 2012, Brennen Center for Justice, New York University Law School, New York City, July 20, 2012
National Association of Drug Court Professionals Annual Training Conference, Nashville, TN, June 1, 2012
American Bar Association’s Commission on Homelessness and Poverty, ABA Mid-Year Convention, New Orleans, LA, February 3, 2012
AmeriCorps Veterans Court Training, Camp Ripley, MN, January 20, 2012
Minnesota Public Defenders Appellate Division, St. Paul, MN, December 16, 2011
Minnesota Judges Conference, Minneapolis, MN, December 9, 2011
7th District Court-wide Training, St. Cloud, MN, December 2, 2011
Minnesota Justice Foundation Annual CLE, Minneapolis, MN, November 15, 2011
Minnesota Department of Corrections Leadership, St. Paul, MN, October 20, 2011
10th District Public Defenders, Anoka, MN, October 6, 2011
Domestic Abuse Project, Minneapolis, MN, October 5, 2011
3rd District Court-wide Training, Rochester, MN, September 23, 2011
Minnesota District Judges Association Annual Conference, Brainerd, MN, September 7, 2011
St. Thomas Law School, August 24, 2011
State Public Defenders District Chiefs, St. Paul, MN, June 30, 2011
Washington County Attorneys Office, Stillwater, MN, May 25, 2011
NAMI Minnesota Conference, Grand Rapids, MN, May 24, 2011
2nd District Public Defenders, St. Paul, MN, May 11, 2011
Stearns County Law Enforcement Training, St. Cloud, MN, April 20, 2011
St. Thomas Law School, Minneapolis, MN, April 13, 2011
Stearns County Law Enforcement Training, St. Cloud, MN, April 7, 2011
8th District Law Enforcement Training, Benson, MN, March 3, 2011
8th District Law Enforcement Training, Willmar, MN, February 24, 2011
Dakota County Court Training, Apple Valley, MN, February 8, 2011
MSBA Criminal Sentencing CLE, Minneapolis, MN, January 19, 2011
Clarion Veterans in the Law CLE, Eagan, MN, December 2, 2010
Behavioral Health and Education Training Academy, San Diego, CA, November 18, 2010
University of St. Thomas Law School, Minneapolis, MN, November 9, 2010
8th District Attorneys Training, Willmar, MN, November 4, 2010
Dakota County District Court Training, Hastings, MN, October 21, 2010
The New Hampshire Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Annual Conference, Manchester, NH, October 15, 2010
8th District Judges Training, Glenwood, MN, October 1, 2010
The International Association of Women Police Annual Conference, Minneapolis, MN, September 28, 2010
Minnesota CLE Veterans Court Webcast, Minneapolis, MN, September 28, 2010
National Housing and Redevelopment Authority Conference, Duluth, MN, Sept. 23, 2010
The National Native American Law Enforcement Summit, Cloquet, MN, September 22, 2010
Minnesota Criminal Justice Institute, St. Paul, MN, August 24, 2010
Minnesota Women in Criminal Justice CLE, Brooklyn Park, MN, July 30, 2010
Minnesota CLE Webcast on Veteran Courts, Minneapolis, MN, June 1, 2010
Twin Cities Suburban Prosecutors Association Annual CLE, May 14, 2010
Behavioral Health and Education Training Academy, San Diego, CA, April 8, 2010
Hennepin County Veterans Court Training, Minneapolis, MN, March 22, 2010
Hamline Law School, St. Paul, MN, November 3, 2009
MSBA Criminal Law Section, St. Paul, MN October 29, 2009
St. Martin’s Table, Minneapolis, MN, October 28, 2009
Defense Forum Washington 2009, Alexandria, VA, September 16, 2009
Florida Public Defenders Association “Life Over Death” Conference, Orlando, FL, September 11, 2009
Minnesota State Bar Association Annual Convention, Duluth, MN, June 2009
Minnesota County Veterans Services Annual Conference, April 2009
Clarion Legal Presents: Criminal Justice 2009 Forensics and Ethics Series, Webcast CLE, March 2009
Minnesota Social Services Association Annual Conference, Minneapolis, MN, February 2009
Hennepin County Bar Association, Minneapolis, MN, January 2009
Thompson University/Clarion Legal, Webcast CLE, November 2008
Minnesota Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Fall CLE, Minneapolis, MN, October 2008
Ramsey County Bar Association, St. Paul, MN, October 2008
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ State Legislative Conference, Milwaukee, WI, August 2008
Center for Mental Health Services, National Center for Trauma-Informed Care, Washington, D.C., July 2008

PUBLICATIONS

The Attorney’s Guide to Defending Veterans in Criminal Court - A comprehensive manual to the art and science of defending military veterans who become entangled in the criminal justice system. Available at www.veteransdefenseproject.org
Echoes of War - A two-part featured article published in the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys’ “Champion” magazine.
Echoes of War, part II - The second installment a two-part article featured in the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers’ “Champion” magazine.
Echoes of War: Combat Trauma, Criminal Behavior; How We Can Do Better This Time Around - A featured article in the FORUM Magazine, California Attorneys for Criminal Justice (CACJ).

Veteran's Voices