Juan Martinez (prosecutor)

Juan Martínez
Born
Juan Mancera Martinez

(1955-08-31) August 31, 1955
Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico
CitizenshipUnited States
EducationUniversity of California, Irvine (BA)
Arizona State University College of Law (JD)
OccupationProsecutor
Years active1988-2020
EmployerMaricopa County

Juan Mancera Martinez (born August 31, 1955) is a Mexican-American disbarred attorney and former Maricopa County homicide prosecutor.[1][2] Known for his work on high-profile criminal cases in Arizona, Martinez gained national attention for his prosecution of Jodi Arias for the 2013 murder of Travis Alexander.[3] During his 32-year career, Martinez was both praised and criticized for his assertive courtroom style.[4][5] In 2020, Martinez agreed to be disbarred without admitting wrongdoing after facing multiple allegations of professional misconduct, including sexual harassment and ethical violations.[6][7]

Early life

Juan Martinez was born on a ranch near Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico, as the sixth of seven children.[8] He immigrated to Victorville, California, with his family when he was six.[1] Martinez later earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Irvine, and a Juris Doctor from the Arizona State University College of Law.[2] He was admitted to the Arizona Bar in 1984.[3][9]

Maricopa County Prosecutor

Martinez joined the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office in 1988 as a deputy county attorney.[10] Over his three-decade tenure, he became one of the office’s most prominent prosecutors, specializing in homicide and capital cases. He handled numerous high-profile murder trials, including the 2009 case against Phoenix Suns nutritionist Douglas Grant,[11] the 1999 “sleepwalker” case of Scott Falater,[12] and the 2011 case of Wendi Andriano.[13]

Martinez gained widespread national attention as the lead prosecutor in the 2013 trial of Jodi Arias for the murder of Travis Alexander.[3][6] The case attracted intense media scrutiny due to its salacious details and Arias’s extensive testimony.[14] [15]

Controversies

His prosecutorial style was often controversial.[3][16] In several rulings, appellate courts found his conduct to be overly combative; one Arizona Court of Appeals decision explicitly criticized his "impermissibly aggressive and combative demeanor" during a capital trial.[17][18] Allegations against him included leaking confidential information to journalists,[19] communicating improperly with jurors,[20] and introducing altered evidence;[21] these prompted the State Bar of Arizona to conduct multiple investigations.[4][7]

In September 2019, Martinez was moved from the Capital Litigation Bureau to the Auto Theft Bureau because of ongoing complaints from the bar, including numerous sexual harassment allegations.[5][22] He retired from the Maricopa County Attorney's Office in early 2020 and subsequently consented to disbarment by the Arizona Supreme Court, concluding his legal career in the state.[6][9]

Bibliography

  • Martinez, Juan (December 27, 2016). Conviction. New York: William Morrow. ISBN 0-06-244429-8.

References

  1. 1 2 Harker, Victoria (August 15, 1999). "Prosecutor is 'a bulldog in courtroom'". Arizona Republic. p. 32 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. 1 2 Cahall, Lois (March 9, 2016). "Q&A: Author Juan Martinez on growing up, being a lawyer and Mexico". Palm Beach Post.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Rubin, Paul (July 1, 2015). "An Army of Juan". PHOENIX Magazine. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Complaint dismissed in ethics case against Arias prosecutor Juan Martinez". KTVB. September 12, 2017.
  5. 1 2 Tuccille, J. D. (April 8, 2020). "Controversial Arizona Prosecutor Juan Martinez May Finally Get a Taste of Justice". Reason.com.
  6. 1 2 3 Shapiro, Danny (July 17, 2020). "Arias prosecutor Martinez disbarred in Arizona over ethics case". KTAR News 92.3 FM.
  7. 1 2 Santa Cruz, Elena (May 10, 2023). "Abuse of power, sex, disbarment: What happened to key players in the Jodi Arias murder trial". USA Today.
  8. ↑ The National Archives At Riverside; Riverside, California, USA; Petitions For Naturalization, 1912-1991; NAI: 611024; Record Group Title: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685-2009; Record Group Number: 21
  9. 1 2 "Arizona State Bar Member Directory". www.azbar.org. Retrieved March 28, 2026.
  10. ↑ Justice Lopez IV, John (April 30, 2020). SB-17-0081-AP: In the matter of a member of the State Bar of Arizona Juan M. Martinez, attorney No. 9510 respondent. In Arizona Supreme Court (No. SB-17-0081-AP). Arizona Judicial Branch.
  11. ↑ Rubin, Paul (April 9, 2009). "Hate For Doug Grant: Despite Scant Evidence That Grant Killed His Wife, the Jury Convicted Him Anyhow". Phoenix New Times.
  12. ↑ Paparella, Andrew; Engel, Scott; Resendez, MaryEllen; Effron, Lauren (January 31, 2021). "'Sleepwalking' killer Scott Falater of Phoenix still wracked with guilt over murdering wife". KNXV-TV.
  13. ↑ Maryniak, Paul (January 22, 2025). "Execution still looms for ex-Ahwatukee woman". Ahwatukee Foothills News.
  14. ↑ Curry, Colleen (May 8, 2013). "9 Most Shocking Moments of the Jodi Arias Trial". ABC News (United States).
  15. ↑ Roberts, Laurie (May 7, 2013). "Why are we so ob-sexed, er, obsessed with Jodi Arias?". Arizona Republic. USA Today.
  16. ↑ Kiefer, Michael (March 29, 2013). "Jodi Arias prosecutor's conduct questioned". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved March 28, 2026 – via USA TODAY.
  17. ↑ Judge Campbell, Jennifer B (March 24, 2020). "State v. Arias, Decision of the Court of Appeals of Arizona". www.courtlistener.com. Joined by Judge Michael J. Brown; Judge Kenton D. Jones specially concurred. Retrieved March 28, 2026.
  18. ↑ Billeaud, Jacques (April 30, 2020). "Ex-prosecutor Juan Martinez reprimanded for appealing to jurors' emotions". FOX 10 Phoenix. Retrieved March 28, 2026.
  19. ↑ Resnik, Brahm (June 30, 2017). "Jodi Arias prosecutor accused of 'inappropriate relationships' that may have affected trial". 13 News Now. Retrieved March 28, 2026.
  20. ↑ Duda, Jeremy (August 27, 2019). "Judge dismisses ethics charge alleging improper Martinez communications with ex-juror". Arizona Mirror. Retrieved March 28, 2026.
  21. ↑ Kiefer, Michael (November 11, 2014). "Jodi Arias defense alleges porn evidence destroyed". Detroit Free Press – via Arizona Republic.
  22. ↑ "Maricopa County prosecutor Juan Martinez reassigned". ABC15 Arizona in Phoenix (KNXV). September 25, 2019. Retrieved March 28, 2026.
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