Thomas Payne

MY BACKGROUND

My name is Thomas Payne. I grew up in Southern New Jersey directly across the river from Philadelphia. I attended college at Rutgers University, where I received my Bachelor’s degree. In between starting and finishing my undergraduate studies at Rutgers, I enlisted and spent four years in the United States Air Force, from which I was honorably discharged and received full GI bill benefits. This allowed me to complete my undergraduate studies and attend Rutgers Law School, from where I graduated in 1987.  ​

LEGAL CAREER
​I accepted a job at the Miami-Dade County Public Defender’s Office that summer, and I worked there for six years, gaining valuable experience in criminal defense work. After a brief period of time doing insurance defense work, I went out on my own in 1997 and have been a solo practitioner since then. Although during this time I have practiced and continue to practice in few other areas of the law, it is criminal defense that has always been and is still my passion.

• B.A. Rutgers University
• J.D. Rutgers University Law School
• Honorably Discharged from US Air Force
• Experienced defense attorney 
• 6 years with Miami Dade County Public Defender's Office.