Charge: Continuous sex with a 15 year old, false imprisonment, cultivating approximately 44 marijuana plants violation of probation and 3 outstanding warrants. Client faces at least 7 years in state prison.
Result: Three years formal probation, 180 days in county jail, no strikes, no sex registration, no prison. Sex case eligible to be reduced to a misdemeanor. Remaining warrants dismissed.

Charge: Felony forcible rape. Full confession and physical evidence to corroborate. Exposure of 9 years in state prison.
Result: Alternative in-patient facility for 6 months. No prison. No jail.

Charge: Client convicted over 10 years ago of rape. Sentenced to state prison with mandatory sex registration. Upon early release, client failed to register as a sex offender, failed to register with parole and failed to complete the terms of probation as ordered by the court. Client was rearrested and charged with parole violation and new felony counts of failing to register as a sex offender. Court and prosecution wanted to send client back to state prison. Statutorily, there was no defense.
Result: Karpel established and provided a defense and demanded a trial on the issues of sanity with the assistance of expert psychiatrists. On the day of the first hearing, prosecution folded and judge changed his mind. Client received credit for time served, formal probation, fines, other orders and the new registration charges entirely dismissed.

Charge: Multiple counts of Forced Oral Copulation by use of gun and knife, while on probation for 3 other cases. Charged also with witnesses-intimidation caught on tape—facing more than 61 years in prison.
Result: Pled to 1 count and eligible for release after 1 ½ years.

Charge: 2 counts of possession of child porn and 1 count of Invasion of Privacy. Client accused of secretly photographing naked female under 18 years old. Facing jail and sex registration.
Result: 4 years probation, 1 year counseling, 20 days CalTrans.


Charge: Attempted murder of a young victim and his friends walking down the street. Co-defendants confess and names client. Witnesses and victim identify client as the shooter and surveillance videos corroborate the incident.
Result: Karpel launches extensive investigation and argues factual innocence defense. Consequently, client pleads no contest to Criminal Threats and receives 3 years felony probation. Gun use allegation dismissed along with remaining counts. Client even eligible for a misdemeanor reduction upon successful completion of probation.

Charge: Multiple counts of Assault. Incident witnessed by a neighbor in the middle of the day.
Result: Informal probation, client ordered to make a domestic violence video-tape. No jail. No community service.

Charge: Multiple counts of criminal threats, assault, and violation of several restraining orders. Actual threats recorded on tape and turned over to police.
Result: No jail time. Probation and anger management classes only.

Charge: Felony vandalism, assault with a deadly weapon (vehicle). Client threw a chair through victim's window in the middle of the night and then attempted to drive over victims with his vehicle.
Result: No prison, no jail and no felony. Sentenced to 3 months at a residential halfway-house paid for by the county. Probation and restitution.

Charge: Murder and gun use. Several eyewitnesses and incriminating jail calls caught on tape.
Result: 4-week jury trial resulted in Hung Jury.

Charge: Point blank shooting murder while in the presence of 5 eyewitnesses. Initiated extensive investigation and established elaborate alibi defense.
Result: Case dismissed.

Charge: Violent stabbing of mother and father with a kitchen knife. Arrested minutes later with blood on his hands and shirt. Client facing life in Prison.
Result: After a bench trial, client found Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity and sentenced to hospital for mental health treatment.


Charge: Two felony counts of Grand Theft and Embezzlement. Client had a prior fraud case. Client was a San Bernardino County employee who had been accused of taking cash from the county. According to police reports, when the search warrants were issued, missing cash was recovered from her purse and she admitted to taking over $5,000 in just a few months. Potential exposure was 6 years in state prison.
Result: Karpel argued that client's remorse, family values and early acceptance of responsibility and payment were mitigating factors and successfully obtained a no contest plea with probation, restitution and 90 days work furlough.

Charge: ID Theft, Possession of a Counterfeit Seal, Receiving Stolen Property, Possession of Drugs for Sale and Transportation of Drugs for Sale. Client was arrested while under the influence and in a stolen vehicle and found in possession of several stolen credit cards, financial documents, computer equipment used for falsifying credit cards and identifications, and several bags of drugs. Client's potential exposure was appx.16 years state prison.
Result: Karpel argued clients young age and need for counseling as mitigating factors and received a no contest plea with 3 years formal probation, 1 year county jail (client actually served 3 weeks and then electronic monitoring). Client will qualify to have one count reduced to a misdemeanor if client successfully completes probation. Remaining counts dismissed.

Charge: Civil attorney charged with 7 counts of Grand Theft by Embezzlement. Suspended attorney accused of taking thousands of dollars in unearned fees from clients & facing at least 21 years in prison.
Result: Probation & Community Service.


Charge: Possession of cocaine. College student with football scholarship visiting Los Angeles during vacation was arrested on UCLA campus and found in possession of cocaine. Others arrested implicated client as the one who was responsible.
Result: Karpel arranged to have the student travel back home and appeared on behalf of the client for the remaining court appearances while negotiating a probation settlement allowing client to attend drug classes at his hometown and upon completion, case to be dismissed.

Charge: Possession of firearm by a felon with priors and possession of controlled substance with a firearm. Client was also on parole. According to police reports, client was observed by police throwing a loaded gun in the trash as they approached him. They also found large amounts of cash and Ecstacy on his person. His potential prison exposure was approximately 7 years.
Result: Karpel obtained a 16 month state prison, to run concurrent with the parole violation, and obtained credit for 5 months and a recommendation for a prison of the client's choice.

Charge: Unlawful possession of an assault weapon and possession of drugs for sale. According to police reports client confessed to all charges. At the time of his arrest, client was on probation (drug diversion) before the same judge.
Result: Karpel obtained a misdemeanor plea consisting of probation, 30 days work release, and fines. As part of the settlement, it was arranged that the possession charge would be dismissed if client received a positive progress report after sentencing.

Charge: Transportation and possession for sale of marijuana, and sale and possession for sale of psilocybin (mushrooms). Arrested by undercover officers after ongoing undercover investigation on Craigslist. Client fled the country for 4 years and eventually was arrested at the airport on a warrant. Exposure of 14 years in prison.
Result: Case dismissed.

Charge: Sale and Transportation of heroin, with 2 prior felony strikes and prison priors, while also on parole for the same offenses. Maximum exposure 20 years prison.
Result: Plea negotiation resulted in striking prior strike and client eligible to serve 2 years.


Charge: DUI with accident. Full confession with a .14 BAC.
Result: DUI dismissed, pled to a speeding charge.

Charge: 3rd time DUI and leaving the scene of an accident.
Result: no further jail and extensive alcohol counseling. Additional charges dismissed.

Charge: DUI, driving without a suspended license and providing a false ID to an officer. Client had open bench warrant for failing to appear.
Result: Pled to first time DUI, and all remaining charges entirely dismissed.

Charge: DUI over .08 blood alcohol level, with an open bottle of vodka located by officers in the back seat. Client found parked in an intersection.
Result: pled to reckless driving, and the DUI dismissed.


Charge: Client was convicted 6 years ago for felony welfare fraud in excess of $10,000. Client was sentenced to 5 years felony probation, payment of complete restitution, community service and other terms and conditions with a mandatory state prison sentence suspended if she failed to do as the court ordered. Defendant never reported, never paid restitution and never completed a day of community service. She was arrested at the airport on the warrant with no bail.
Result: Karpel obtained a revised sentence of 150 hours community service, payment of restitution and an extended term of probation. Client was released from custody within hours.


Charge: Pre-file case involving multilevel federal cell phone fraud. Full confession with corroborating witnesses.
Settlement: With early intervention, no charges filed. Case dismissed.

Charge: Client accused of embezzling appx. $140,000 from federally insured bank through an elaborate scheme. According to reports, client confessed and admitted to hiding additional funds.
Result: Karpel provided the court with an extensive sentencing memorandum explaining client's personal life, characteristics and social history to appeal to the court for lesser sentence. After arguing in opposition to the Government's request for a lengthy prison sentence, Karpel obtained for client, 4 months in custody and 4 months at a halfway house, probation, no fines, and restitution. Karpel arranged to have client serve his minimal time close to his family.


Charge: "Man with a gun!"—10 hour SWAT standoff. Client facing 14 years in prison for illegally discharging a firearm and criminal threats.
Result: Counseling & credit for time served.

Charge: Arrested by TSA at airport screening with two military-style knives and charged with Possession of Concealed Weapon at Airport.
Result: Pled to an infraction of Disturbing the Peace and paid a fine.