Senior Trial Attorney Jason St. Aubin has been practicing criminal law since 2005. Jason graduated from Charlotte Country Day School and received his undergraduate degree from Duke University. After graduating with a J.D. cumlaude from the University of Illinois, Jason began working for the Public Defender’s office in Charlotte. During his 17 years there he worked every type of case imaginable, from traffic tickets to drug trafficking, from shootings to sex offenses, and from home break-ins to homicide.

Jason is not afraid to take cases to trial. He has taken over 30 cases to jury trial from misdemeanors to violent felonies and he has tried many more cases before a judge. In March of 2021, Jason secured the first Not Guilty jury verdict in Mecklenburg County in more than a year as felony trials resumed after the pandemic.

While working at the Public Defender, Jason was hired by the Charlotte School of Law in 2009, where he worked as an Adjunct Professor until 2017. Jason taught many courses including Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, Counseling and Negotiations, as well as Plea Bargaining. Currently, Jason works for the University of Illinois College of Law as an Adjunct Professor, coaching trial teams.

Jason has taught at numerous training programs at UNC School of Government in Chapel Hill for defense attorneys of all experience levels, and he has presented at statewide conferences as well as at Duke University. He is the former Chairman of the Mecklenburg County Criminal Justice Section. When he isn’t working hard on your case, Jason lives in Davidson with his amazing wife Kirstin and their three boys. Together they have as many dogs: Saul, Della, and Wrigley. During his free time Jason loves to make the perfect sandwich, play board games with way too many rules, and sing an occasional karaoke song.

Areas of Practice

• Criminal Defense
• Domestic Violence
• Drug Crimes
• Theft Crimes
• Violent Crimes
• Sex Offenses
• Homicide
• Mental Health and Capacity to Proceed
• Fugitive/Extradition
• TSA Civil Penalty Negotiation
• Expungements

Bar Associations:

• North Carolina State Bar, 2005

Professional Memberships:

• Mecklenburg County Bar Association
• Mecklenburg County Criminal Justice Section, member, former Vice Chair, former Chair
• North Carolina Advocates for Justice
• Mecklenburg County Bar, Continuing Legal Education Committee Member

Speaking Engagements:

• Suppression Motions in Superior Court, UNC Chapel Hill School of Government, Felony Defender Training
• Evidentiary Issues in District Court, UNC Chapel Hill School of Government, Misdemeanor Defender Training
• Preventing Low Level Felonies from Becoming High Level Habitual Felonies, UNC Chapel Hill School of Government, Higher Level Felony Defender Training
• Professionalism in the Courtroom, Mecklenburg County Bar Association, Professionalism for New Attorneys CLE
• University of Illinois College of Law Trial Team Training, Cross Examinations, Closing Arguments
• Courtroom Essentials for Investigators, North Carolina State Public Defender and Investigator Conference
• Jury Selection, Charlotte School of Law
• Let’s Talk Criminal, Mecklenburg County Bar Association
• Felony Sentencing Basics, Mecklenburg County Bar Association
• For Your Eyes Only: Where Privacy Ends and the Law Begins, Charlotte School of Law, Panelist
• Faculty Member, UNC School of Government, Misdemeanor Defender Training
• Faculty Member, UNC School of Government, Felony Defender Training
• Faculty Member, UNC School of Government, Higher Level Felony Defender Training
• So You Want to Work in Criminal Law?, Duke University, Friday Speaker Series
• Open Door Speaker Series, Duke University

In the Media

• “Fractured: The Wait Inmates Endure Because They Are Too Sick For Trial,” 90.7 WFAE in collaboration with PBS Frontline, April 2023.
  • https://www.wfae.org/health/2023-04-18/the-wait-inmates-with-mental- illness-endure-because-theyre-too-sick-for-trial
• “Fractured: When Criminal Justice Systems Have to Deal with Mental Illness,” 90.7 WFAE in collaboration with PBS Frontline, June 2023.
  • https://www.wfae.org/health/2023-06-06/when-criminal-justice-systems-have- to-deal-with-mental-illness
• “Fractured: Still Here: Cycling Between the Jail and the Mental Health Hospital”, 90.7 WFAE in collaboration with PBS Frontline, August 2023.
  • https://www.wfae.org/health/2023-08-01/still-here-cycling-between-the-jail- and-the-mental-health-hospital
• “Alumni Share Career Advice,” Charlotte Country Day School, March 2022
  • https://www.charlottecountryday.org/alumni/alumni-news- details/~board/alumni-news/post/alumni-share-career-advice
• “Mecklenburg County Public Defender,” Charlotte Talks, 90.7 WFAE, October 2009.
  • https://www.wfae.org/show/charlotte-talks-with-mike-collins/2009-10-20/mecklenburg-county-public-defender