David N. Karpel

David N. Karpel graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder and holds a law degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.

After law school he took a commission in the Navy's Judge Advocate General Corps, serving as a prosecutor and defense counsel, then served in the active reserves and retired as a captain. He was a senior deputy district attorney in the Denver District Attorney's Office and then a federal prosecutor in the Justice Department's Organized Crime and Gang Section in Washington, D.C., before his appointment to the Eighteenth Judicial District Court in 2023. He mentors a University of Colorado student through the Law School Yes We Can program and has chaired the CU Alumni Association Board.

One member was absent for the 8 to 0 vote, and one seat on the commission was vacant. Because few surveys came back, the commission used them to check the commissioners' independent findings. It reports that "The overwhelming majority of attorney respondents agreed that Judge Karpel meets performance standards" and that non-attorneys found that he "gives proceedings a sense of dignity, treats participants with respect, and has a sense of compassion and human understanding for those who appear in court."

The commission writes that "Judge Karpel effectively applies the law to the facts before him, he is on top of his caseload and is very efficient." It adds: "He is unbiased and treats participants with dignity and respect."