Who We Are

The Arson Research Project examines a subject area that lies in the interface of law and science. The project’s director and advisory board bring decades of professional experience relevant to the project’s objectives while providing well-established contacts throughout the criminal justice and fire investigation communities.

Director

Paul Bieber, Director and founder of The Arson Research Project
Paul is a Criminal Investigator specializing in indigent defense investigations and a member of the investigator’s panel of the San Mateo County, California, Private Defenders Program where his assignments range from misdemeanors to complex felonies. His professional experience includes conducting civil and criminal investigations as a fire investigator for EFI Global, Inc., as a Deputy Coroner for San Mateo County Coroner’s Office and as a Criminal Fraud Investigator for California Department of Insurance, Fraud Division.

Advisory Board

Mitch Winick, President and Dean of Monterey College of Law
Dean Winick has served as Dean of Monterey College of Law since August 2005.  His thirty year career spans a wide variety of responsible positions in law, legal education and business, including service as an Assistant Attorney General of Texas, as a law professor, and as the Executive Director for the Texas Center for Legal Ethics and Professionalism.   He will provide academic oversight for the planning, research, drafting, and publication of law-related research findings.

Brendan O’Leary, San Francisco Fire Department (ret.)
Brendan recently retired after 32 years of service with the San Francisco Fire Department as a Firefighter, Fire Investigator, Supervising Fire Investigator, and Assistant Deputy Chief. He is currently a faculty member of the Fire Science Department of San Francisco City College where he teaches fire investigation. Brendan has assisted with study design and continues to provide assistance in research design and implementation. He also assists as a liaison between the Arson Research Project and the California Conference of Fire Investigators (CCAI).

David Brien, manager, Chemical and Microbiology Laboratories, EFI Global, Rocklin, CA
David has 20-years of experience as an analytical and forensic chemist specializing in fire debris analysis. David employs the industry standard ASTM test methods for the chemical identification of ignitable liquids using gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) on a routine basis. He contributes his experience as a scientist specializing in fire cause determination as it applies to the analysis of fire debris and the reliability of arson evidence and arson-related investigation conclusions.

John Maness, Chief Investigator, San Mateo County Private Defender Program and Northern California Director of the Defense Investigator’s Association
John has 25 years of experience in criminal investigations and the criminal justice system. He brings his experience as a criminal investigator and his numerous contacts in the criminal defense community, as well as his genuine commitment to justice, to assist the Arson Research Project as an advisor and a mentor.