Matt Roark
Matt Roark
Associate Attorney
Law School: Southern Illinois University- Carbondale, Illinois (2009) J.D.
Graduate: East Tennessee University (2016)- Johnson City, Tennessee M.S. Criminal Justice
Undergraduate: Austin Peay State University- Clarksville, Tennessee (2005) B.A. English
Areas of Practice: Criminal Law
Honor/Awards/Fraternity/Involvement Etc. During College and Law School
Undergraduate:
- Magna Cum Laude, English (2005)
- Football (2001-2004)
- Austin Peay Honors Program (2001-2005)
- APSU Athletics Scholar-Athlete (2004)
- Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity (2001-2005)
- Student Government Association
- Sigma Tau Gamma English honors fraternity
- The All State, APSU student newspaper
Graduate:
- Magna Cum Laude, Criminal Justice (2016)
- Outstanding Graduate Student (2016)
About Matt
Matthew’s roots are in Carter County, Tennessee. After graduating from Hampton High School in 2001, Matt attended Austin Peay State University and played football for the Governors from 2001 – 2004. He graduated in 2005 Magna Cum Laude with a degree in English. He was an executive committee member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity as well as serving on the Student Government Association.
Following undergrad, Matt became a Saluki in 2006 when he began law school at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. While in law school Matt interned back home under the late David Crockett in Elizabethton for two summers. During the summer of Matt’s third and final year of law school, he interned with the Office of the District Attorney’s Office in the First Judicial District. During these internships Matt gained a fresh perspective regarding the needs of eastern Tennesseans and realized that he was uniquely suited to support those needs. Eager to come back to serve his community, he moved back to Northeast Tennessee in 2009 after graduating from SIU and married the love of his life in 2011.
After graduating and moving back home, Matt started his legal career in 2009 as an Assistant District Attorney in the First Judicial District under District Attorney General Tony Clark. He began his career on an OCJP Byrne-JAG grant prosecuting felony drug cases in Washington County, Tennessee. In 2010 Matt was moved to a State position prosecuting vertically in Johnson County, Tennessee. At that time Matt was the only ADA assigned to Johnson County. In six years, he would be moved home to the Carter County office assigned to Criminal Court. In April of 2023 Matt left the District Attorney’s Office and joined the ranks of Baker Foster Potter, P.C. to lead the firm into the field of criminal defense in northeast Tennessee.
In Matthew’s 13+ years of legal experience, he has tried over 60 criminal jury trials including being lead or assisting in over a dozen homicides. He has tried rape, burglary, aggravated assault, sexual assault, theft, and even simple possession cases. Matt has handled thousands of criminal prosecutions in both General Sessions and Criminal Courts. In April of 2022 Matt was featured on the stalwart true crime show American Justice in S15 E8 titled “Loved to Death” https://www.imdb.com/title/tt21854120/ detailing the 2012 double homicide in Johnson County dubbed “The Facebook Murders.”
Matt has participated in many motions to suppress, motions to dismiss, and numerous appellate cases in both the trial court as well as the Court of Criminal Appeals. While with the District Attorney’s Office he was a founding member of the First Judicial District’s Felony Recovery Court in 2017 until he left for private practice.
Outside of work Matt cherishes spending time with all three of his girls—his lovely wife Lori and his two marvelous daughters. He pours himself into his Carter County community and enjoys serving in many capacities. Matt is on the Board of Trustees at First United Methodist Church in Elizabethton, Tennessee and serves as FUMC’s Media/Technology coordinator. He was on the board for the Carter County American Little League from 2014 until its dissolution. Matt was the President of the Elizabethton/Carter County Youth Baseball-Softball Association that replaced the CCALL until 2019. He currently coaches his oldest daughter. Matt is an avid fan of the Atlanta Braves and Carolina Panthers—and of course his Tennessee Volunteers.
