Calgary Criminal Defence Lawyer

Tough. Strategic. Experienced.

Being charged with a criminal offence is one of the most stressful experiences in a person’s life. Hiring the right lawyer to defend you is the most important decision you can make. I have over 20 years of experience in criminal law, and I have defended over 1600 people.  

Contact Me Today

Calgary Criminal Defence Lawyer

Tough. Strategic. Experienced.

Being charged with a criminal offence is one of the most stressful experiences in a person’s life. Hiring the right lawyer to defend you is the most important decision you can make. I have over 20 years of experience in criminal law, and I have defended over 1600 people.  

Contact Me Today

110+ 5-Star Google Reviews
20+ Years of Criminal Defence Experience
1600+ Successful Cases

Calgary Criminal Lawyer

Susan Karpa

I am a Calgary based criminal defence lawyer who specializes in defending clients against criminal charges. When deciding on a lawyer to represent you in criminal matters, experience and results achieved are crucial considerations.

Review My Case History

BBB Accredited Business Best of Calgary ThreeBest Rated Law Society of Alberta Calgary Bar Association

WHAT CLIENTS SAY

TESTIMONIALS

Susan is fantastic to work with. Kind and empathetic and at the same time professional and thorough. She helped me navigate a sensitive situation quickly and expedited a solution for me. I can't thank her enough and would recommend her to anyone who needs legal assistance.

I cannot thank Susan Karpa enough for the work that she did on my case, which lasted about 17 months. Throughout all of this, Susan was consistently supportive, thorough, and direct. She expected a lot from me in terms of preparation and cooperation, which I came to appreciate because it showed how seriously she took my defence and how committed she was to helping me achieve the best possible outcome. In the end, the best possible outcome was in fact achieved. Susan’s dedication, professionalism, and persistence made an incredibly difficult period of my life manageable. I’m extremely grateful for her hard work and would highly recommend her to anyone needing a strong criminal defence lawyer.

Susan is an exceptional lawyer. She guided me through a very stressful situation with great professionalism and compassion. Her communication was clear, timely, and incredibly reassuring. I am truly grateful for her dedication and the positive outcome she helped me achieve. I highly recommend her to anyone in need of legal assistance.

When my husband had charges laid on him, he originally had a legal aide lawyer appointed to him. But after some research, my husband and I decided to call Susan after reading her reviews and case studies. That decision ended up being the best decision of our lives. Due to the nature of the charges my husband was convinced his life was over. The release conditions were intense, and the impact on us and our kids were immeasurable. His kids were his life- and I was put in a position where I may not be able to finish my nursing degree I’d worked so hard on.

Immediately upon calling Susan, she put him at ease and made him feel like she was invested in not just the case, but in our family. She gave detailed instructions every step of the way- and slowly but surely we began to gain our life back. She worked so hard behind the scenes- and my husband never once stepped foot in a courtroom. She assured him she had it handled and
He simply did the homework she assigned. She got multiple conditions amended over a period of a few months, got him back home with his family, and then one day he got the best phone call ever- the charges were stayed, and within a year they will likely be dropped. This was an incredible outcome I had not foreseen- and in half the time frame I expected. I can NOT express enough how much we appreciate Susan and her hard work- she literally handed him his life back. If you find yourself facing criminal charges- you have found your woman in Sudan karpa. She will fight tirelessly on your behalf and you will not be disappointed. I never even met the woman but she has changed my life forever through her work for my husband and our family. Thank you Susan- for everything.

EXPERIENCE IN criminal law

Practice Areas

  • Assaults, Threats, and Harassment

    Assaults and related offences such as uttering threats and harassment can occur in many different forms. They range from mere threats to forms of simple assault, domestic violence, assaults involving weapons, those that cause bodily harm, and most serious of all, aggravated assaults.

  • Sexual Assault & Other Sexual Offences

    Sexual assault charges can arise in a multitude of factual circumstances, and can range from sexual assault with a weapon, causing bodily harm, or aggravated sexual assault.

  • Possession of Child Pornography and Luring

    Child pornography related offences can include allegations of possessing, making, or distributing such materials. A related offence is child luring. Evidence in this area is quite technical given the intricacies of the internet and modern-day technology.

  • Drug Offences

    Drug offences are taken very seriously and thus are governed by their own legislation called the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. The new Cannabis Act also regulates the possession and use of marijuana.

  • Firearms & Weapons Offences

    There are various firearm and weapons related offences you may have been charged with. The use and possession of firearms carry strict requirements for it to be lawful.

  • Property Related Offences

    There is a wide array of property related offences which commonly include theft, mischief, and possession of stolen property. Various defences may be available to you that should be explored.

  • Murder & Manslaughter Offences

    These are the most serious offences you can be charged with and they carry a potential consequence of life in jail. Due to the severity of the possible outcomes, they are among the most complicated cases to deal with.

  • Impaired Driving & Other Driving Offences

    These charges are relatively common and can have serious impacts on your daily life and employment. There are both criminal charges you may face and provincial regulatory consequences in terms of your license and ability to drive.

  • Release Conditions, Probation, and Conditional Sentences

    Upon being criminally charged, you may have been released either on an appearance notice, undertaking, or release order. These documents set out conditions you will have to follow ranging from simply attending court and fingerprinting all the way up to curfews and other restrictions.

  • Release and Bail

    Upon being charged, the default rule for many offences is that you should be released as soon as reasonably possible and on the least restrictive conditions suitable to your case.

Experience in criminal law

SUSAN KARPA

I take my commitment to my clients seriously. I work hard to defend all criminal charges equally. Whether you have been charged with assault, a sexual offence, theft, drug trafficking, weapons offence or something else, I strive to ensure the best possible outcome.

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Frequently Asked Questions

If there is a warrant for your arrest in a particular jurisdiction – for example, Alberta, or Canada – the police in that jurisdiction have the authority to arrest you. Once you are arrested, you may be released by a police officer on an appearance notice or undertaking or you may be held while you wait to have a bail hearing in front of a justice of the peace or judge.

In most cases, having a warrant for your arrest is not what some television shows and movies make it out to be – the police are not usually going to great lengths to find you and bring you to jail. However, the police may be searching for you, and if you happen to come across the police (and tell them who you are) for any reason, you will almost certainly be arrested. Even if you happen to drive by a highway patrol officer who runs your license plate through a police database – and police routinely do this – you may be pulled over and arrested.

In my role as a criminal lawyer, one of the common questions you may need to ask me before you’ve been charged is: 

“THE POLICE HAVE CONTACTED ME, AND THEY WANT TO TALK TO ME ABOUT SOMETHING. CAN I REFUSE?”
 
At this early stage, the police may want to ask some questions. It may be about an incident you participated in, one you witnessed, or one you have simply became aware of. Based upon my experience, the police will likely be contacting you about a matter for which they are contemplating laying criminal charges.

Before hiring a criminal defence lawyer, the lawyer will often set up an initial consultation with the prospective client. What happens during those initial consultations will vary from criminal defence lawyer to criminal defence lawyer, but generally speaking a few key subjects will be reviewed with the client.

For myself, I always ask the client to bring with them copies of any paperwork they may have received from police. However, if you are looking to consult with a criminal defence lawyer before charges are laid, for pre-charge advice, then you will not necessarily have any paperwork from the police.