Will Maas is a veteran of many kinds of wars--military, legal and personal. He has tried tough rape and murder cases. He served three tours of combat duty in Vietnam, and is fighting and winning his own personal battle against alcoholism.

Maas grew up in a small Iowa farm town and joined the army at age 18. He became a paratrooper with the 1st Cavalry Division and later served with the 82nd Airborne Division in Vietnam. In part because of having to kill during the war, Maas is driven by a search for his own redemption to defend the accused. He believes that we are all flawed and all have the potential to murder. There's very little he won't do to defend his clients, as can be readily seen in his video diaries, nocturnal musings that expose his searching soul. Now, he faces the most disturbing and difficult case of his career.

After military service, Maas graduated with bachelor's and master's degrees in English from the University of Iowa. He received his law degree from John F. Kennedy Law School and has been a public defender for over 15 years. He is married and has two children, Tom a public defender in Solano County, California, and Anne, a law student whose goal is to become a public defender.