Cristina Gutierrez

Maria Cristina Gutierrez (February 28, 1951 – January 30, 2004) was an American criminal defense attorney based in Baltimore, Maryland, who represented several high-profile defendants in the 1990s. She was the first Latina to be counsel of record in a case before the Supreme Court of the United States. In 2001, Gutierrez was disbarred, with her consent, following multiple complaints from clients who paid her for legal work she failed to perform. At the time, Gutierrez was dying from a combination of multiple sclerosis and diabetes, and her health was rapidly deteriorating.

Not to be confused with Cristina Gutiérrez or Cristina Gutiérrez-Cortines.
Cristina Gutierrez
Gutierrez in 1988
Born
Maria Cristina Gutierrez

February 28, 1951
Maryland, U.S.
DiedJanuary 30, 2004(2004-01-30) (aged 52)
Towson, Maryland
CitizenshipUnited States of America
Education
  • Antioch College
  • University of Baltimore (J.D)
OccupationCriminal defense attorney
Known forHigh-profile defense attorney
Children
  • Roberto Gutierrez
  • Micajuela Gutierrez

She served as trial counsel for Adnan Syed, the Baltimore-area teenager who was convicted in 2000 of murdering his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee and was sentenced to life in prison. The controversial case gained renewed national attention in 2014 after being the subject of the first season of the podcasts Serial. In a post-conviction hearing, a judge ruled that Gutierrez "rendered ineffective assistance".

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