A 67 year old doctor was recently arrested following sexual assault allegations made by multiple female patients. Dr. Michael Popkin, who has been licensed to practice medicine in California since 1977, was alleged to have committed the assaults at his Encino office during medical exams between 2001 and 2016. Given Dr. Popkin’s 4 decades of medical practice, detectives within LAPD’s sex crimes unit are continuing their investigation hoping to locate additional victims. As it stands, Dr. Popkin is currently facing 4 sex crime charges ranging from sexual exploitation of a patient and sexual battery. If convicted Dr. Popkin could face imprisonment in county jail or state prison and lifetime sex offender registration.
Criminal Arrests Involving Licensed Professionals
Dr. Popkin’s case exemplifies the heightened consequences licensed professionals face when charged with criminal offenses. In addition to the criminal case, the Medical Board of California (MBC) will likely launch their own independent investigation into Dr. Popkin’s medical licensing. As a California state licensing agency, the MBC has the authority to conduct its own administrative investigations and independently dispense its own punishments for acts which violate the board’s code of ethics. Similar to the California DMV’s authority to suspend one’s driving privilege even without a DUI conviction in court, the MBC and other professional licensing can impose administrative sanctions upon licensees without a criminal conviction.
Sex Crime Defense in Southern California Since 1987
Regardless of whether you are a licensed professional or not, any criminal matter involving accusations of rape, child molestation, indecent exposure, or any other California sex crime requires the expertise of an experienced sex crime defense attorney. The punishment for a sex offense conviction can be severe, as well as permanent for those sentenced to sex offender registration. For 3 decades, the former Los Angeles sex crime prosecutors at Sitkoff & Hanrahan, LLP have specialized in defending sex offenses in Los Angeles, Ventura, and Orange County. Call today at (866) 430-8383 for a free consultation.