Getting a Settlement

WHAT IS A SETTLEMENT?

A resolution, or settlement, is the result of what is commonly known as "plea bargaining."

People enter into a plea bargain for many reasons. It is not always because they are guilty. Often times a person wants the case to simply "go away" as quickly as possible and as painlessly as possible. Other times, a person is accused of a lot of charges and enters into a settlement so that more serious charges are dropped in exchange for accepting responsibility for significantly lesser charges.

OUR CREATIVE LEGAL SOLUTIONS

The Karpel Law Group prides itself in attempting to secure creative alternative sentences for each individual. This may include drug diversion, drug treatment and counseling, anger management, community service, sex compulsion classes, psychological counseling, continuing education and, of course, probation. It may also include alternative institutions to prison or jail.

SETTLEMENT PROCESS

Cases can be settled by good lawyering and creativity. You hire us for both.

You are the client. You make the decisions. It is our job to provide you with all the options possible as well as the legal counseling of the nature and consequences of your settlement. We utilize our expertise as well as every possible avenue to provide you whatever options are available.

Creative & Alternative Sentences: Our experience has proven that there exist many types of creative sentences and alternatives to state prison and jail that are never explored by other attorneys. The Karpel Law Group has been involved with tremendous success in creative sentences, including some of the following:

• Electronic home detention or monitoring
• Private jails & weekend custody programs (instead of county jail)
• Work furlough programs
• In-patient facilities for direct treatment for mental disease, psychological issues, alternative lifestyles, substance abuse
• Half-way houses
• 90-day diagnostic facilities (instead of state prison)
• Drug & alcohol treatment and counseling programs
• Anger management classes
• Community service
• Sex compulsion classes
• Psychological counseling
• Continuing education
• Restitution center (facilities)
• Probation

Investigators: Our experience has proven that thorough investigations are crucial. Many attorneys do not use investigators until trial. Often times, investigations can assist in settling a case early and getting certain charges lessened, changed, or dismissed entirely. Our experienced investigators are typically used for some of the following:

• Victim & witness interviews
• Extensive and thorough review of evidence and police reports
• Follow up and development of leads
• Police interviews
• Photographs/videos
• Sketches, diagrams and measurements
• Forensic evidence testing
• Background investigations of involved parties
• Establishment of motive to lie
• Development of evidence of impossibility
• Early intervention
• Locating other wrongly accused individuals
• Confidential informants and sources
• Public record searches

Experts: Experts are brought in to investigate, test, review, evaluate, analyze and consult on your case. Traditionally, experts are used to educate jurors at trial. We regularly consult with experts to prepare for trial and to use at trial when necessary. However, even more important are the use of experts before trial, assisting to settle cases. We need to provide prosecutors with a reason to settle your case. We need to show prosecutors what type of person you really are. Expert reports and evaluations are crucial pieces in obtaining successful results to your case. When appropriate, we use experts such as:

• Psychiatrists and forensic psychologists
• Firearm and ballistics
• Eyewitness identification
• Gang
• DNA
• Medical & pathology
• Forensic accounting
• Sexual assault
• Coerced confession
• Questioned document examiners: handwriting & fingerprinting

Creative Lawyering: A good lawyer listens to the client and determines the client's ultimate goals in regard to the criminal case. The Karpel Law Group prides itself on seeking any and all possible avenues to settle your case. We think outside the box. We know the system. We determine possible alternatives and creative sentences that will work for each client. There is no such thing as a typical case or a typical sentence, because our philosophy is that there is no such thing as a typical client. Each client has specific needs, issues and desires. It is our job to identify these needs, apply the possible alternatives and provide a settlement to each client's satisfaction.

At the Karpel Law Group, we think "outside the box."

If you have found yourself in a legal situation and you need a criminal defense lawyer and want to avoid a lengthy trial and settle your case under the best circumstances possible, contact us today at (888) 758-8186 for more information or the meet with a lawyer for a free consultation.