Scarlet E. ‘Scar’ Petrucci, Waco Criminal Attorney

Scarlet E. 'Scar' Petrucci is a criminal defense attorney in the Waco office of Dunham & Jones. She handles felony and misdemeanor cases, with a focus on violent offenses such as murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, and assault family violence, along with DWI, theft, and felony drug charges. She appears most often in McLennan County and also handles cases in Falls and Limestone Counties.

Ms. Petrucci has always had a passion for justice and knew from a young age that criminal defense would be a perfect fit. She grew up in Austin and earned her bachelor's degree in criminal justice, with a minor in psychology, from the University of Central Oklahoma in 2019, later completing a master's degree in crime and intelligence analysis there in 2024. She received her Juris Doctor from Baylor Law School in 2023, where she was in the top percentile of her class for trial advocacy and completed more than 200 pro bono hours.

In her first year of practice, she tried first-degree felonies in both federal and state court as a solo practitioner. From 2023 to 2024 she ran her own practice in Waco, first under a supervised license and then on her own after she was licensed in Texas, handling mostly federal cases. The U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas admitted her in 2024. Over her career she has tried felony cases to verdict and handled more than 200 cases.

Ms. Petrucci digs into the facts of a case and weighs the client's own circumstances, whether the right result is a negotiated plea or a trial. She has served as secretary of the McLennan County Defense Bar Association since 2025, organizing its meetings, speakers, and continuing legal education, and she is a member of the Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association. She has coached mock trial, still judges competitions, and makes time for Baylor Law students who are considering criminal defense careers.

In her free time, Ms. Petrucci loves kickboxing, cooking, watching hockey, playing guitar, and spoiling her pets. While she enjoys the outdoors, her favorite place to be is in a courtroom.

Scarlet E. 'Scar' Petrucci
Criminal Defense Attorney - Dunham & Jones
Baylor Law School | University of Central Oklahoma
Secretary, McLennan County Defense Bar Association

Scarlet E. 'Scar' Petrucci, Attorney at Law