Ken Kratz
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Kenneth "Ken" R. Kratz (born 1960/61) is an American former lawyer who served as district attorney of
Calumet County, Wisconsin Calumet County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 52,442. The county seat is Chilton. The county was created in 1836 (then in the Wisconsin Territory) and organized in 1850. Calumet ...
. He gained attention for trying a highly publicized homicide case, ''State of Wisconsin v.
Steven Avery Steven Allan Avery (born July 9, 1962) is an American convicted murderer from Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, who had previously been wrongfully convicted in 1985 of sexual assault and attempted murder. After serving eighteen years of a thirty-tw ...
'' (2007), in which Avery and his nephew Brendan Dassey were both convicted. The trial served as the subject of ''
Making a Murderer ''Making a Murderer'' is an American true crime documentary television series written and directed by Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos. The show tells the story of Steven Avery, a man from Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, who served 18 years in pri ...
'' (2015), a 10-episode documentary series produced by
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
. Kratz resigned from his office in October 2010 after a
sexting Sexting is sending, receiving, or forwarding sexually explicit messages, photographs, or videos, primarily between mobile phones. It may also include the use of a computer or any digital device. The term was first popularized early in the 21st ...
scandal; he had sent sexual texts to a 26-year-old
domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...
victim whose ex-boyfriend he was prosecuting. Several other women whom he met as district attorney also complained to authorities that he had approached them with inappropriate sexual behavior. As a result, in 2014, Kratz's law license was suspended for four months by the
Wisconsin Supreme Court The Wisconsin Supreme Court is the highest appellate court in Wisconsin. The Supreme Court has jurisdiction over original actions, appeals from lower courts, and regulation or administration of the practice of law in Wisconsin. Location The Wi ...
. In 2013, he settled a
civil suit - A lawsuit is a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the Civil law (common law), civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in re ...
by the first woman who had brought the complaint against him.


Early life and education

Kratz is a native of
Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...
. He later lived in
Onalaska, Wisconsin Onalaska is a city in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 18,803 at the 2020 census. It borders the larger La Crosse, Wisconsin, and is a part of the La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN Metropolitan Area. Onalaska is built on a ...
. After graduating from the
University of Wisconsin–Whitewater The University of Wisconsin–Whitewater (UW–Whitewater) is a public university in Whitewater, Wisconsin. It is part of the University of Wisconsin System. Student enrollment in the 2014–2015 academic year was more than 12,000. The universit ...
in 1983 and Marquette Law School in 1985, Kratz was
admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...
and licensed to practice law in Wisconsin in 1985.


Career

He worked in the
La Crosse, Wisconsin La Crosse is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of La Crosse County. Positioned alongside the Mississippi River, La Crosse is the largest city on Wisconsin's western border. La Crosse's population as of the 2020 census w ...
City Attorney's Office as an assistant city attorney from 1985 to 1987. He served as an assistant
district attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or state attorney is the chief prosecutor and/or chief law enforcement officer representing a U.S. state in a l ...
in La Crosse County, Wisconsin, from 1987 to 1992, and said his specialties were drug-related cases and child sex abuse cases. Kratz was appointed district attorney of Calumet County (replacing Donald Poppy, who became a judge) by Wisconsin Governor
Tommy Thompson Tommy George Thompson (born November 19, 1941) is an American Republican politician who most recently served as interim president of the University of Wisconsin System from 2020 to 2022. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served ...
in 1992; he was the only applicant for the post. He served as president of the Wisconsin District Attorneys Association in 1996. Kratz chaired the Wisconsin Victim Rights Council in 1993 as well as its successor, the Wisconsin Crime Victims Rights Board, from 1998 to 2010.''Office of Lawyer Regulation v. Kenneth R. Kratz''
/ref> In 1997, Kratz prosecuted a prominent child abuse case in which parents allegedly locked their daughter in a cage. The mother pleaded guilty. In 2008, Kratz explored a run for the Republican nomination in
Wisconsin's 6th congressional district Wisconsin's 6th congressional district is a congressional district of the United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply th ...
.


Prosecution of 2005 murder of Teresa Halbach

Kratz was appointed
special prosecutor In the United States, a special counsel (formerly called special prosecutor or independent counsel) is a lawyer appointed to investigate, and potentially prosecute, a particular case of suspected wrongdoing for which a conflict of interest exis ...
and headed the investigation and prosecutions of
Steven Avery Steven Allan Avery (born July 9, 1962) is an American convicted murderer from Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, who had previously been wrongfully convicted in 1985 of sexual assault and attempted murder. After serving eighteen years of a thirty-tw ...
and Brendan Dassey in neighboring
Manitowoc County Manitowoc County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 81,359. Its county seat is Manitowoc. The county was created in 1836 prior to Wisconsin's statehood and organized in 1848. Manitowoc County ...
for the murder of Teresa Halbach on October 31, 2005. Manitowoc County had recused its officials because it was being sued by Avery for
wrongful conviction A miscarriage of justice occurs when a grossly unfair outcome occurs in a criminal or civil proceeding, such as the conviction and punishment of a person for a crime they did not commit. Miscarriages are also known as wrongful convictions. Inno ...
, following his exoneration in 2003 of a 1985 conviction for which he had served 18 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Kratz gained convictions of both defendants in trials in 2007. Avery was sentenced to
life without parole Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which convicted people are to remain in prison for the rest of their natural lives or indefinitely until pardoned, paroled, or otherwise commuted to a fixed term. Crimes for ...
. Dassey, then 17, was sentenced to
life imprisonment Life imprisonment is any sentence of imprisonment for a crime under which convicted people are to remain in prison for the rest of their natural lives or indefinitely until pardoned, paroled, or otherwise commuted to a fixed term. Crimes for ...
, with no parole before he reached the age of 56. Dassey's conviction was provisionally overturned in August 2016, subject to appellate review.


2009 sexual harassment scandal


Behavior

In October 2009, Kratz was prosecuting a
domestic violence Domestic violence (also known as domestic abuse or family violence) is violence or other abuse that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. ''Domestic violence'' is often used as a synonym for ''intimate partner ...
case against the ex-boyfriend of a 26-year-old victim, who was a college student and part-time preschool teacher. She filed a police report in
Kaukauna, Wisconsin Kaukauna () is a city in Outagamie and Calumet counties, Wisconsin, United States. It is situated on the Fox River, approximately north of Milwaukee. The population was 15,462 at the 2010 census. It is a part of the Appleton, Wisconsin Met ...
, reporting that after interviewing her in his office, Kratz had sent her 30 sexually coercive text messages over the span of three days. She said that she felt that he was trying to coerce her into a sexual relationship, fearing if she refused him he would dismiss the case against her ex-boyfriend. Kratz wrote her, among other things, "Are you the kind of girl that likes secret contact with an older married elected DA ... the riskier the better?" And: "I would not expect you to be the other woman. I would want you to be so hot and treat me so well that you'd be THE woman! R U that good?" He wrote her as well: "I'm serious! I'm the atty. I have the $350,000 house. I have the 6-figure career. You may be the tall, young, hot nymph, but I am the prize!" Kratz did not deny sending her the text messages. The report was referred to the state's Division of Criminal Investigation. During the DCI investigation, a dozen or so more women came forward accusing Kratz of harassing and intimidating them. One woman complained that Kratz had invited her to a date at a slain woman's autopsy "provided I act as his girlfriend and would wear high heels and a skirt," and another woman said after meeting her in his office he texted her asking how she would impress him in bed. At the time, Kratz was serving as chairman of the Wisconsin Crime Victims' Rights Board, a quasi-judicial agency that he helped create that can reprimand judges, prosecutors, and police officers who mistreat crime victims. Kratz had also met a woman when he prosecuted her for shoplifting in 2006. According to an investigatory report, she said that in 2009 he called her "out of the blue," said he was getting a divorce, came to her apartment, and told her in a threatening manner that he "knew everything about her" and "if she did not listen to him, he could get her 'jammed up.'" "While Kratz was at
he woman's He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...
apartment, esaid he ties women up, they listen to him, and he is in control.
he woman He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' in ...
stated that Kratz wanted her to engage in bondage with him. She said he instructed her to give him a '
blow job Fellatio (also known as fellation, and in slang as blowjob, BJ, giving head, or sucking off) is an oral sex act involving a person stimulating the human penis, penis of another person by using the human mouth, mouth, throat, or both. Oral stim ...
,' and she did." Kratz then left $75 on her kitchen counter, and subsequently called and texted her 50 or 60 times, leaving angry messages when she ignored him. Kratz also allegedly put his hand up the skirt of another domestic violence victim in 1999, when he was prosecuting her husband. In addition, the initial complainant, in a later lawsuit, charged that Kratz told another domestic abuse victim 10 years prior that "he could have a
dominatrix A dominatrix (; ) or femdom is a woman who takes the dominant role in BDSM activities. A dominatrix can be of any sexual orientation, but this does not necessarily limit the genders of her submissive partners. Dominatrices are known for inflic ...
from Chicago with whom he was familiar train the victim/witness to be more submissive to his advances."


Aftermath

Wisconsin Governor
Jim Doyle James Edward Doyle, Jr., (born November 23, 1945) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 44th governor of Wisconsin, serving from January 6, 2003 to January 3, 2011. In his first election to the governorship, he defeated incu ...
said Kratz's actions "appalled" him. After Doyle began removal procedures against him, in October 2010 Kratz resigned from his $105,000 Calumet County district attorney position and later filed for
Chapter 7 bankruptcy Chapter 7 of Title 11 of the United States Code (Bankruptcy Code) governs the process of liquidation under the bankruptcy laws of the United States, in contrast to Chapters 11 and 13, which govern the process of ''reorganization'' of a debtor. ...
. In March 2011, the
Wisconsin Department of Justice The Wisconsin Department of Justice is a state law enforcement agency with jurisdiction throughout the state of Wisconsin. Its headquarters are in Madison, the state capital, with main offices in the Risser Justice Center in downtown Madison. The ...
decided that Kratz's "conduct appears to fit the connotation of 'misconduct' and demonstrates inappropriate behavior, but does not satisfy the elements required to prosecute." That same month, he opened a private practice in
Kimberly, Wisconsin Kimberly is a village in Outagamie County, Wisconsin, Outagamie County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 7,320 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. The village is east of Appleton, Wisconsin, Appleton. History Kimberly was or ...
. He practiced as a defense attorney. He closed the practice in January 2012. After his accuser filed a federal
civil suit - A lawsuit is a proceeding by a party or parties against another in the Civil law (common law), civil court of law. The archaic term "suit in law" is found in only a small number of laws still in effect today. The term "lawsuit" is used in re ...
against him, Kratz settled with her out of court in 2013, a week before trial. In June 2014, Kratz's
law license An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...
was suspended for four months by the
Wisconsin Supreme Court The Wisconsin Supreme Court is the highest appellate court in Wisconsin. The Supreme Court has jurisdiction over original actions, appeals from lower courts, and regulation or administration of the practice of law in Wisconsin. Location The Wi ...
, which termed his actions "sophomoric". The court called his actions "appalling," writing "This was exploitative behavior, harassing behavior, and a crass placement of his personal interests above those of his client, the State of Wisconsin." The court wrote further that Kratz "raised arguments that ranged from the incredible (e.g., disputing his text messages ... contained sexual overtones); to the hyper-technical ...; to the inconsistent ...; to the puzzling (arguing that he could not have told ... that a reporter had "big beautiful breasts" because the reporter in question was beautiful, but not large breasted)." During the disciplinary hearing, Kratz said he abused prescription drugs
Ambien Zolpidem, sold under the brand name Ambien, among others, is a medication primarily used for the short-term treatment of sleeping problems. Guidelines recommend that it be used only after cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia and behavioral ...
,
Vicodin Hydrocodone/paracetamol (also known as hydrocodone/acetaminophen) is the combination of the pain medications hydrocodone and paracetamol (acetaminophen). It is used to treat moderate to severe pain. It is taken by mouth. Recreational use is co ...
, and
Xanax Alprazolam, sold under the brand name Xanax, among others, is a fast-acting, potent tranquilizer of medium duration in the triazolobenzodiazepine (TBZD) class, which are benzodiazepines (BZDs) fused with a triazole ring. It is most commonly ...
, and was being treated for
sexual addiction According to proponents of the concept, sexual addiction, also known as sex addiction, is a state characterized by compulsive participation or engagement in sexual activity, particularly sexual intercourse, despite negative consequences. The con ...
and
narcissistic personality disorder Narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) is a personality disorder characterized by a life-long pattern of exaggerated feelings of self-importance, an excessive need for admiration, a diminished ability or unwillingness to empathize with other ...
. According to the State Bar of Wisconsin, Kratz has since voluntarily resigned his law license in the state.


In popular culture

Kratz's role in the Steven Avery case was documented in the
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...
documentary series ''
Making a Murderer ''Making a Murderer'' is an American true crime documentary television series written and directed by Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos. The show tells the story of Steven Avery, a man from Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, who served 18 years in pri ...
'' (2015). Kratz did not cooperate with the producers or interviewers in the series. He later criticized them, saying they had left out key pieces of evidence. After the release of the series, Kratz began receiving death threats. His
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page was flooded with negative comments criticizing his tactics during the case.


Personal life

As of 1992, Kratz was married and had one child. Kratz said he and his then-wife separated in October 2009, and that he filed for divorce in December 2009. Kratz is currently married to Leah.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kratz, Ken Living people Lawyers from Milwaukee People from Calumet County, Wisconsin People from La Crosse County, Wisconsin District attorneys in Wisconsin University of Wisconsin–Whitewater alumni Marquette University Law School alumni 1960 births Sexting Sexual addiction People with narcissistic personality disorder