Judge Marc Carter (Ret.) is a trial attorney and Of Counsel at Kherkher Garcia LLP.

Appointed to the bench by Governor Rick Perry in 2003, Judge Carter presided over the 228th District Court in Harris County, Texas until January 2019. Prior to his appointment, Judge Carter was a law clerk for the Honorable Kenneth M. Hoyt, United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas. He also served as a trial lawyer with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office and later as a criminal defense attorney.

Judge Carter’s signature achievement as judge was the creation of the first Veterans’ Treatment Court program in Texas in 2009. His treatment court collaborated with the DeBakey Veteran’s Medical Center to provide clients with treatment for mental health disorders and addictions. His court received national recognition, and he was featured on CBS “60 Minutes” and PBS “Need to Know.”

Prior to Judge Carter’s appointment to the bench in 2003, he had an extensive trial and appellate practice. As a prosecutor and defense lawyer, Judge Carter tried over 75 cases in state and federal courts. As a felony prosecutor, he never lost a case.

Judge Carter received his undergraduate degree from The University of Texas at Austin and his law degree from The Thurgood Marshall School of Law. In 1981, he was commissioned as a lieutenant in the United States Army Intelligence Corps. He achieved the rank of captain while serving in Germany supervising 250 soldiers that collected theater-level intelligence in support of combat units in Western Europe.

Judge Carter has received a number of national, state, and local awards for his work with veterans and for criminal justice reform, including:

• State Bar of Texas African American Section Distinguished Jurist Award (2017)
• The William H. Rehnquist Award for Judicial Excellence (2016)
• The Ima Hogg Award from Mental Health America of Greater Houston (2016)
• State Pro Bono Award in Texas (2016)
• The Johnny Klevenhagun Award from Crime Stoppers (2014)
• Praxis Award from Villanova University for professional ethics (2013)
• NAACP Jesse Brown Distinguished Leader Award for Criminal Justice Reform

In addition to his legal practice, Judge Carter is a Regent for Texas Southern University and Board Chair for Mental Health America of Greater Houston.