Attorney John J. Bresaw is a native of New Hampshire who grew up in Dover and graduated from Dover High School. John earned his BA in Criminology from the University of Southern Maine, focusing on the complex relations among crime, law, and society. While at the University of Southern Maine, John was a member of the Student Conduct Committee which dealt with potential violations of the Student Conduct Code. In this role, John became an advocate for students facing potential sanctions, laying the foundation for his desire to help others.
John continued his education by attending the University of New Hampshire School of Law. During his time at UNH, John began honing his trial skills through his involvement in the trial advocacy program. As a member of the trial advocacy team, John competed in numerous mock trial competitions in both his second and third years of law school. John was also involved in the criminal practice clinic where he provided representation to numerous individuals accused of committing crimes.
John first became involved with the New Hampshire Public Defender program while attending law school, working both as a private investigator and a legal intern under the supervision of Attorney Jesse Freidman. This was the beginning of a two decade friendship and extensive professional relationship that culminated in the formation of Friedman & Bresaw. John and Jesse have worked together on some of the highest profile criminal cases in recent New Hampshire history.
In 2002, John started his legal career at the New Hampshire Public Defender as a staff attorney. During his 17-year tenure at the Public Defender’s Office, John has represented thousands of clients charged with crimes, ranging from juvenile delinquency petitions to homicide. John has successfully defended and obtained not guilty verdicts for clients charged with various misdemeanor offense such as DWI, simple assault, and criminal threatening, as well as, serious felony charges such as possession of controlled drugs, welfare fraud, aggravated felonious sexual assault, and attempted murder. In his client-centered representation, John has successfully negotiated thousands of criminal cases which have resulted in reduced charges and favorable sentences. John’s extensive litigation experience includes the ability to obtain any necessary experts in a wide range of disciplines for both consultation and trial. John has conducted many depositions of expert witnesses. While at the Public Defender’s Office, John has also devoted his time to mentoring, training, and supervising new attorneys, as well as, interviewing prospective attorneys.
During a brief hiatus, John worked for a local private law firm in Concord, NH, where he continued to represent individuals accused and charged with crimes and was also involved in civil litigation, including personal injury cases.
John is a father of two boys and lives with his wife, Shannon, in the Capital Region. John is actively involved in his community, volunteering his time to the local sports youth association and coaching soccer. John is an avid music and sports fan and enjoys attending concerts and sporting events. John has been known to DJ weddings, family events, and get togethers when given the opportunity and was briefly a DJ for a local radio station in the Lakes Region.
