BRONX TIMES REPORTER,20 SEPT. 24-30, 2021 BTR
Sgt. Matthew John Brunner in Bronx Criminal Court in 1990. Photo courtesy Llinet Beltre
After 30 years of court
service, Sgt. Brunner retires
Sgt. Matthew John Brunner was
born on May 3, 1965, at St John’s Riverside
Hospital in Yonkers to proud
parents Fred and Geraldine Brunner.
He was raised in the Riverdale
section of the Bronx alongside older
brother Tom, younger brother Christian
and younger sister Kate. He attended
St. Margaret of Cortona Elementary
School through eighth grade,
Fordham High School, and graduated
from John Jay College in 2002. He
completed his degree while attending
night classes; juggling having a 2 yearold
and an infant at home, while simultaneously
maintaining second jobs in
the evening. He majored in Forensic
Psychology and graduated with honors.
Brunner entered the New York
State Court Offi cer Academy on Nov.
14, 1988, and graduated on Dec. 12,
1988. The next day he started working
at Bronx Criminal Court. On Nov. 3,
1994, Brunner was promoted to senior
court offi cer and assigned to Bronx Supreme
Court, Criminal Term. On Nov.
15, 2010, he was transferred to Bronx
Supreme Court, Civil Term. On Nov.
17, 2016, he was promoted to New York
State court offi cer sergeant and assigned
to Bronx Supreme Court, Civil
Term where he remained until his retirement
on July 30, 2021.
Notably, except for one quick stop
in Manhattan, he worked his entire
career in his beloved Bronx County
dedicating the majority of his career
to the Bronx Supreme Courthouse, located
at 851 Grand Concourse. Brunner
has mentored so many offi cers that
have followed behind him and gained
the respect and love of the entire legal
community which celebrated him on
Sept. 17, 2021. On that date, he received
a Certifi cate of Merit from the Bronx
borough president and a citation from
Assemblyman Jeffery Dinowitz, who
represents Riverdale.
Brunner met the love of his life,
Julianne (Jules) in 1991, in the Bronx
neighborhood of Riverdale where they
both grew up. They got married in
1999 and have four sons, Joseph, Jack,
Matt and Will.
-Bronx Times
NO STOPPING