Meet Joel Schwartz, the attorney who represented Russ Faria in 2013 after allegedly murdering his wife.
Learn where he is today, details about his wife and kids, and his career. Tag along with this Joel Schwartz Bio to learn more.
Meet Joel Schwartz, Russ Faria’s Defense Attorney
Joel Schwartz is the defense attorney who represented Russ Faria in court during Betsy Faria’s trial. He was hired by Russ’s cousin. Russ’s cousin remembered him as a rougish, whip-smart defense attorney from a stint as a legal secretary. As he read through the police report, he kept stopping and thought about why they weren’t looking at Pamala Hupp.
Joel understood the whole situation and the strongest evidence on the prosecutor was Betsy’s blood on Russ’s slippers. He told Nathan Swanson, “It’s clear it’s not blood he walked through and there’s no spatter on the top, which there would’ve had to be if he wore them while he killed her. You don’t murder somebody and then put on your slippers.”
Joel fought hard for Russ but couldn’t save him from getting life imprisonment in 2013.
However, he received a few documents from the insider of Leah Askey‘s firm. These documents contained never seen pictures of the crime scene. It also contained unethical emails between Leah and one of the police officers who helped to hide pieces of evidence.
Joel kept on pressing and eventually, got Russ exonerated in 2015.
Speaking with Oxygen.com, Joel described himself as an optimist who likes to try everything, from acting to writing to music to being a criminal defense lawyer.
About Russ’s case, he described, “I assumed, just like everybody else… that this husband had brutally stabbed and killed his wife. I came away with a vision of a guy who, even given [my] healthy dose of cynicism, kept giving me a story that was so easily disprovable that I had hoped and believed that it would be true. And, as it turned out, it didn’t take very long to determine that his story was accurate.”
Later, he revealed to the outlet, “I don’t know, and still don’t know to this day, if Pam is the individual who plunged a knife 55 times into her friend. But I can say with certainty [that] Pam was involved, I have no doubts or qualms about that.”
Where Is Joel Schwartz Today?
Joel Schwartz is still working as a lawyer. He is one of the co-founders and attorneys at Rosenblum Schwartz & Fry, founded in 1999. He also co-authored a book in 2022 titled, Bone Deep: Untangling the Twisted True Story of the Tragic Betsy Faria Murder Case.
Joel Schwartz Career
Joel Schwartz chose Austin as his law school home because he “wanted to have a base to work from,” even though he had no intention of becoming a lawyer.
He moved to Los Angeles to be an actor and he got to LA he waited tables while trying to become an actor. Although he persevered, h didn’t manage to secure the big break that he needed.
Joel decided to take advantage of the strike’s downtime by visiting his family in St. Louis for a few weeks. He stumbled into an old buddy, a lawyer in the middle of a murder trial, while out to dinner with his father. Schwartz was persuaded to attend the trial by a friend, who swiftly introduced him to the public defender, who gave him a job right away.
He decided to give a year to pursue a career as a lawyer and he ended up spending over 23 years years.
Joel was admitted to the Missouri Bar in 1989 and has spent the last 20 years practicing criminal defense. He is a member of the Missouri Bar, Missouri’s Eastern and Western Districts, Illinois’ Central and Southern Districts, Iowa’s Southern District, and Michigan’s Eastern and Western Districts. In Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Michigan, Kansas, Arizona, Texas, Colorado, and California, Mr. Schwartz has represented individuals.
Martindale Hubbell has given Mr. Schwartz an AV rating. He is a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Missouri Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and is a life member of both organizations. He belongs to the American Association for Justice as well. Joel has lectured for several legal training institutions and has served as a legal analyst for several news organizations.
Joel practices criminal defense on both the federal and state levels.
Is Joel Schwartz On Facebook?
Yes, Joel Schwartz has a Facebook account. You can find him at (@joel.schwartz.1293).
Joel Schwartz Age
As of March 2022, Joel Schwartz is 60 years old. He celebrates his birthday on 4 October.
Joel Schwartz Wife
Joel Schwartz is married to his wife Maryann Schwartz. They have been married for over 26 years. Born on 23 May 1963, Maryann is 58 years old. According to LinkedIn, Maryann is a freelance consultant.
They have three children together of whom Jonah and Gabriel are their two sons and a daughter named Mattea Schwartz. Jonah who is currently 23 years old graduated from St. Louis University High School. He attended Tulane University and currently works at CBD Universe. He is on Facebook (@jonah.schwartz.7).
Not much is known about Gabriel except he played ice hockey in high school. He was featured in St. Louis Review in 2019 after making a speedy recovery after severing nerves in his wrist. He is also on Facebook. Also, meet Mattea on Facebook (@mattea.schwartz).
Related FAQs
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Where Is Joel Schwartz Residing Now?
Joel Schwartz is currently residing in Saint Louis, Missouri.
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Who Plays Joel Schwartz On The Thing About Pam?
Actor Josh Duhamel played Joel Schwartz on The Thing About Pam.
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Where Did Joel Schwartz Recieve His Education?
Joel Schwartz graduated from the University of Texas with B.A. in 1984. Later, in 1987, he earned his J.D. from the same.
