NATIONAL CRIMINAL DEFENSE COLLEGE FACULTY

Fernando became a lawyer in January of 1983 because he lacked the size, speed and talent to be an NFL quarterback. In order to satisfy his insatiable desire to overcome unending adversity he became a criminal defense lawyer.

He was born in Havana, Cuba in 1955, raised in Louisiana and Wyoming. He graduated from Louisiana State University-Geaux Tigers- and later from the University of Denver College of Law in 1982. He started as a trial lawyer in the Denver trial office of the Colorado State Public Defender’s office in 1983 and spent a total of 25 years with them. He is now in private practice and teaches trial tactics around the US, Mexico, Chile, Cuba and Argentina. He has tried over 130 jury trials and more than 25 homicide trials. He is on the faculty of the National Criminal Defense College and is a member of the American College of trial lawyers.