Stephen Kunkle

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Stephen Kunkle

Phoenix Criminal Defense Lawyer

Stephen Kunkle joined the Belen Law Firm in April 2026 and brings over 30 years of legal experience to the firm.

Stephen has represented numerous clients with the same goal in mind – do what is right for the client.

Stephen graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts having studied history. While there, he received an Honorable Mention in the 1984 college wide essay contest.

In 1990, Stephen graduated from the Boston University School of Law. In 1990, Stephen joined the New York County (Manhattan) District Attorney’s Office under District Attorney Robert M. Morgenthau. While there, Stephen was selected to serve in the Child Abuse Unit, handling numerous matters, including homicide cases.

In 1996, Stephen moved to Arizona and joined the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. Stephen was chosen for the Major Felony Bureau in Mesa where he prosecuted gang related cases from the East Valley.

In 1998, Stephen started his own criminal practice. From 1998 until 2015, Stephen handled numerous cases in federal, state and municipal courts. During that same timeframe, Stephen was also a Certified Specialist in Criminal Law in Arizona through the State Bar of Arizona Board of Legal Specialization.

From 2015 until his recent departure in April 2026, Stephen worked at the Office of the Legal Advocate, a public defender agency in Maricopa County. During that time, he handled capital matters and primarily homicide cases.

Stephen is a Life Member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. He currently serves on the Criminal Law Advisory Commission which advises the Board of Legal Specialization regarding criminal certified specialist applications. Stephen is also a member of the Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice.

Stephen is the proud father of two adult children. During his free time, Stephen is active outdoors – hiking the trails, bicycling with the Wheezer Geezer club, kayaking or walking the neighborhood with his roommates, Oskar & Betty.

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What Our Clients Say

"We first hired Belen and her highly esteemed team of expert litigators. For her integrity and professionalism, but during the course of our representation, we gained a degree of personal trust and reliance far exceeding our expectations. Belen demonstrated an amazing level of genuine care and compassion and an implicit desire to keep us informed and knowledgeable of each step in the process. She is a diligent and hard worker and leaves no stone unturned. Our representation was nothing short of brilliant, creative and successful! She is without a doubt the Lady I want in my corner. I would HIGHLY recommend her to anyone interested in winning their case with the least amount of headaches throughout the process."

"Belén is hands down the BEST defense attorney out there. She has the heart, compassion, determination, backbone and most of all, the desire to help her clients. Belén’s expertise and experience helped mitigate our case to receive a reduced sentence. She spent thousands of hours over the year and a half she represented our family to challenge the prosecution at every corner and on every angle. She went above what most attorneys do by hiring her own experts and investigators to ensure she went to battle fully loaded. Due to her dedication, determination and commitment, my family felt extremely satisfied and confident that she obtained the best outcome with a reduced sentence. Belén is a stand up human being who, not only represented our family, but became family. If you want the best defense attorney, Belen is your choice!"

"At a time where we felt helpless and, quite frankly traumatized, Belen stepped in and reassured us that we had options and assured us she would work her hardest for a satisfactory resolution. My teenage son needed defense against law enforcement and my family needed legal advice and support in the worst way. Despite being beaten black and blue by police officers that said he was resisting arrest, they also charged him with two felonies. We were all at a loss and Belen was able to keep us grounded as we went through the process explaining every step along the way. She worked extremely hard to expose the truth about the officer involved, and because of her hard work, the felonies were dropped. My son can go on with his life without having his record and character tarnished by these unjust accusations."

"Hire this one! I spoke to several firms before using Belen. Every other firm connected me to a sales person who refused to allow me to speak with an attorney. Belen was put on the phone when I called at 7pm on a Saturday. Belen cared about my son. He had a warrant for his arrest and did not know until he was pulled over and hauled off to jail. Belen went to the jail on Saturday, stood with my son in jail in front of the jailhouse court judge and told that judge how it was. My son walked out 2 hours later without paying for bail. The following week, she called the prosecutor and was able to get the plea reinstated from years prior that resulted in the case being fully dismissed. Also, her fees for everything were lower than the other attorneys who were trying to get me to pay over the phone. I highly recommend Belen!"

Stephen Kunkle

Meet Your Criminal Defense Attorney

Stephen Kunkle

Phoenix Criminal Defense Lawyer

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What Our Clients Say

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