Mary Frances Dayton

Mary Dayton has committed her career to providing excellent client-centered representation to the citizens of Georgia. Mary began her journey into the legal field first as an undergraduate fact investigator intern for the Northeast Georgia Public Defender’s Office in 2006. During this initial experience, Mary saw the need not only for excellent legal representation, but also for attorneys that have a true working knowledge of the forensic science evidence being used to prosecute clients.

Seeing this need, Mary elected to go to the University of Florida, graduating with a Masters of Forensics Science in 2011. Immediately after graduation, Mary went to New Haven, CT, and attended the Henry Lee Institute of Forensic Science earning a certificate in bloodstain pattern analysis. Mary then went to Emory Law, graduating in 2015.

Since 2015, Mary has dedicated her career to public defense work. First with the DeKalb Co. Public Defender, and then with the Office of the Georgia Capital Defender, representing indigent clients at the trial level who are facing the death penalty. At each office Mary was the go-to forensic science person. Whether it be sitting second-chair on a case to take over the forensic science issues, looking over forensic science reports for a colleague, or simply to be a sounding board for another trial team to talk through their forensic science issues, Mary has always been a willing resource for other attorneys. Taking the leap into the private sector, she now looks forward to helping you.

Please reach out with any and all questions, and remember – don’t allow the State to tell you what the evidence says, enlist an attorney who can decode the science into plain language that everyone can understand.