By Abigail W. Adams
District Attorney Geoff Rushlau stands witness as new Assistant District Attorney Matthew Kanwit (left) is sworn in by Lincoln County Deputy Administrator Debbie Tibbetts in Lincoln County Superior Court Friday, Aug. 21. (Abigail Adams photo)õ
When former Assistant District Attorney Andrew Wright left the D.A.’s office to start private practice as a defense attorney, his advice to the next assistant district attorney was to take a team approach. Remembering the D.A.’s office, law enforcement, and court system are part of a team is the key to success, Wright said.
On Friday, Aug. 21, former defense attorney Matthew Kanwit was sworn in at Lincoln County Superior Court as a new assistant district attorney in Prosecutorial District 6, which includes Knox, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, and Waldo counties.
Kanwit named working toward a common goal and being part of a team as his primary reasons for switching to prosecutorial work and seeking out a job in the D.A.’s office. ‘He’s able to communicate effectively with a lot of different people,” District Attorney Geoff Rushlau said. ‘That’s a very valuable asset.”
Kanwit will work as a floater between Lincoln and Sagadahoc counties until a new full-time assistant district attorney is hired to work alongside Jon Liberman in Sagadahoc County, Rushlau said. Once Sagadahoc County is fully staffed, Kanwit will be stationed in Lincoln County with Assistant District Attorney Katie Hollstrom, he said.
Kanwit’s wife, parents, in-laws, cousin, and children, one just a few days old, turned out to witness him take the oath of office and begin his new career. ‘We’re very proud,” parents Evelyn and John Kanwit said.
Kanwit, a Brunswick native, enlisted in the Navy in 2000, where he learned the importance of teamwork, he said. Kanwit earned his undergraduate degree from Rutgers University and was a classmate of Liberman’s at the University of Maine School of Law.
The two have been good friends since they used to argue against each other in moot court, a simulated court proceeding in law school, Kanwit said. After graduation, Kanwit went on to work as a criminal defense attorney where he handled the full gamut of criminal cases, he said.
Always drawn to prosecutorial work, Kanwit had been inquiring about a position in the D.A.’s office for approximately three years. ‘Things finally came together,” he said.
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New District 6 Assistant District Attorney Matthew Kanwit’s family gathered to witness his swearing in ceremony at Lincoln County Superior Court Friday, Aug. 21. Pictured (from left to right) are cousin Carol Feingold, father-in-law Martin Samelson, daughter Sloane Kanwit, mother-in-law Lois Samelson, wife Jennifer Kanwit, and parents Evelyn and John Kanwit. Not pictured: Cutler Kanwit. (Abigail Adams photo) |
‘I’m so proud and excited for him,” wife Jennifer Kanwit said. ‘He’s going to do great in his new role.”
As a former defense attorney, Kanwit will not be able to prosecute any case in which he previously worked for the defense, which he does not expect to become an issue because he rarely had cases in Wiscasset, he said. Maintaining a balance between advancing cases for the state and practicing prosecutorial discretion will be a challenge in his new position, Kanwit said.
‘He seems to have very good powers of legal analysis,” Rushlau said. ‘He has the ability to evaluate cases, which requires a combination of intelligence and judgment.” Kanwit also has the ability to argue cases without becoming overly contentious or argumentative, Rushlau said.
Kanwit worked his first full day as assistant district attorney Monday, Aug. 24.
