On Wednesday, December 17, 2025, the California Supreme Court summarily disbarred attorney Thaddeus Julian Culpepper, State Bar Number 220194. The disbarment stems from felony convictions in the United States District Court for the Central District of California.
The case is entitled “In the Matter of Thaddeus Julian Culpepper,” with case number S292803.
The Supreme Court’s decision upholds the recommendation made by the State Bar Court Review Department on August 8, 2025. The State Bar Court had previously determined that Culpepper’s actions met the criteria for summary disbarment under Business and Professions Code section 6102, subdivision (c).
Culpepper’s legal troubles originated with a guilty plea on September 15, 2022, to violations of federal law, specifically title 18 U.S.C. section 641 (theft of government property) and title 18 U.S.C. section 510(a)(2) (passing United States Treasury checks bearing forged endorsements). Following the notification of these convictions, Culpepper was initially suspended from practicing law, effective January 30, 2023, pending the final resolution of disciplinary proceedings.
The State Bar Court Review Department’s recommendation for disbarment rested on two key findings: first, that Culpepper’s convictions were indeed felonies, carrying a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years for each violation. This classification aligns with title 18 U.S.C. section 3559(a). Second, the Review Department concluded that Culpepper’s convictions inherently involved moral turpitude. The theft of government property exceeding $1,000 and the passing of forged Treasury checks with the intent to defraud were deemed to meet this criterion.
The Supreme Court’s order mandates that Culpepper comply with California Rules of Court, rule 9.20, which requires him to notify clients and other relevant parties of his disbarment within specified timeframes. He has 30 days from the date of the order to identify clients in pending matters and 40 days to perform the acts specified in Rule 9.20(c).
In addition to disbarment, the Supreme Court has ordered Culpepper to pay $5,000 in monetary sanctions to the State Bar of California Client Security Fund, as per Business and Professions Code section 6086.13 and rule 5.137 of the Rules of Procedure of the State Bar. He is also responsible for covering the costs incurred by the State Bar during the disciplinary proceedings, in accordance with Business and Professions Code section 6086.10. These financial obligations are enforceable as money judgments and must be satisfied before any potential application for reinstatement.
The Supreme Court denied Culpepper’s “Ex Parte Application for Immediate Determination of Jurisdictional Status and Issuance of Forthwith Orders,” filed on October 31, 2025, and “Ex Parte Application for Abatement,” filed on November 6, 2025. The petition for review and application for stay were also denied.
According to Avvo, Mr. Culpepper was a criminal defense lawyer in Los Angeles, CA. He acquired his law license in California in 2002.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
