Magistrate Hardin received his undergraduate degree in Animal Science (B.S.) from Texas Tech University in 2008. He received his law degree, along with an MBA, from Texas Tech University in 2011. Upon graduating from law school, Magistrate Hardin moved to Grand Junction and worked briefly in insurance defense before transitioning to criminal defense and juvenile delinquency with Davis & Hardin, LLC, followed by the Law Office of Matthew B. Hardin. He was sworn in as a Magistrate on May 2, 2023.