James Barretto is a former appellate brief writer, assistant district attorney, defense attorney, assistant attorney general and AG division chief. As a founding principal at a litigation firm, he has had experience in third-party litigation, worker's compensation, insurance defense, and general civil and criminal litigation. He has also served as a legal analyst for the local affiliate of a national cable news network and has appeared on national and international television as a commentator on a variety of legal subjects. He is currently a judge on the Massachusetts District Court. Mystic Wind is his first novel.