Ms. Marci A Kratter | Attorney

Marci Kratter was born and raised in the suburbs of New York. At a young age, Ms. Kratter became aware of social injustice and was moved by the plight of those who were without a voice.

Driven by her desire to make the world a more equitable place and to right societal wrongs, she attended Arizona State University where she obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology. She quickly learned that the degree she obtained would not enable her to stand up for the rights of others. Ms. Kratter feels a moral obligation to make the world a better place and believes that her goals can be accomplished through service to her community. Driven to make a difference, she attended California Western School of Law in San Diego. While attending law school, Ms. Kratter was president of the law school's Amnesty International chapter.

Ms. Kratter completed law school in 2.5 years. Her last semester was spent working as an intern at the Arizona Attorney General's Office. While it was always her desire to serve the community, she did not feel at home as a prosecutor. And in fact, it was her tenure as an intern that impelled her towards indigent defense. Instead of being outraged by the defendants' conduct, she often found herself more outraged by governmental overreaching, police abuse, and discrepancies between the have and have-nots. With a greater understanding of the myriad problems facing the under privileged, and underserved, Ms. Kratter began her career at the Maricopa County Public Defender's Office.

During her 7-year employ at the Public Defender's Office, Ms. Kratter had the opportunity to work side by side with some of Arizona's most dedicated lawyers. During that period she was known not only as a compassionate attorney but an aggressive one. Ms. Kratter fought vigorously for her clients. Her refusal to go along to get along coupled with her commitment to her clients and their causes resulted in significant upheaval. The politics of working in a publicly funded office left her feeling unduly restrained and unable to make the impact she wanted.

Ms. Kratter left the Public Defender's office for private practice in 2005. While in private practice, Ms. Kratter has continued her pledge of service to the community; in addition to her many private cases, Ms. Kratter maintains a contract with the county that enables her to assist those in need. In addition to her contract case, Ms. Kratter also works on a specialized caseload assisting juvenile offenders on adult probation Ms. Kratter firmly believes that to whom much is given much is expected. She has made a difference in many lives and will continue to do so.

Ms. Kratter has not only obtained numerous acquittals, but her efforts have led to the outright dismissal of several charges, including the dismissal of Conspiracy to Commit First Degree Murder charges in State v. Bojorquez.

Ms. Kratter was also on the forefront of slowing down the filing of death penalty cases in Maricopa County when she filed a motion requesting that the Court stay all further proceedings in a capital case she was assigned to. The motion started a chain reaction that ultimately drew the nation's attention to Arizona's problem.

Ms. Kratter remains a force to be reckoned with. Her dedication to her clients and her passionate belief injustice for all drives her to achieve the best results for her clients. Ms. Kratter has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Arizona Republic and on several local news programs.