Matthew Brady (lawyer) facts for kids

Matthew A. Brady was an important lawyer in San Francisco. He worked as the city's top prosecutor, called a district attorney, for many years. He held this job from 1919 to 1943.

Who Was Matthew A. Brady?

Matthew A. Brady was a key figure in San Francisco's legal system. As the district attorney, his job was to represent the government in court cases. He made sure laws were followed and justice was served.

Early Career and Important Cases

Brady first became district attorney by winning an election. He defeated the previous district attorney, Charles Fickert. Fickert had been involved in a famous case called the Preparedness Day bombing.

The Mooney and Billings Case

In the Preparedness Day bombing case, two men, Tom Mooney and Warren Billings, were found guilty. By 1926, Matthew Brady believed Mooney and Billings were wrongly accused. He even wrote a letter to the governor about it. Brady felt that if they had a new trial, they would not be found guilty.

Fighting Corruption

In 1935, Brady took action against possible problems in the police department. He gathered a special group of citizens, called a grand jury. He also hired a private investigator, Edwin Atherton. Their job was to look into reports of corruption within the San Francisco Police Department.

Brady also handled many important court cases during the 1920s and 1930s. These included cases involving people who believed in communism.

Later Years

Matthew Brady served as district attorney for a long time. In 1943, he ran for reelection again. However, he lost the election to Pat Brown. This was the second time Brady and Brown had competed for the job.