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Attorney Jeremey Campshure was a staff
attorney for the Wisconsin State Public
Defender and represented a client charged
with several felonies. Following a no contest
plea Campshure's client was convicted on one
count and the other counts were dismissed but
read in. The court scheduled a date for the
sentencing hearing and ordered a pre-sentence
investigation.
At the sentencing hearing, Campshure appeared
with his client. The court asked Campshure if
he had discussed the pre-sentence report with
his client and Campshure answered yes, even
though he knew he had not done so. The court
then asked the client if the client had
discussed the pre-sentence report with
Campshure and the client answered no. After
the client and Campshure talked privately
through an interpreter, Campshure stated,
"Your Honor, it appears [the client] doesn't
remember our last meeting, so I'm a little
concerned about that." The court again asked
Campshure, "So you met with your client, Mr.
Campshure, and went through the pre-sentence
report?" Campshure answered, "We did."
Campshure informed the court he met with his
client last week despite knowing he had not
met with his client.
After the court asked the client if the
client remembered meting with Campshure in
the jail the week prior, the client answered,
"No, I hadn't seen him for two months." The
court asked Campshure, "Okay. And, Mr.
Campshure, you are saying that's just not
true?" Campshure answered, "It's not. I mean,
I wasn't - I don't know. I -"
At that time, a man sitting in the courtroom
addressed the court stating he had been
ministering the client every week for two
years and the client told him that no one had
been to see the client the week prior. At
that moment, Campshure stated to the court,
"Your Honor, I do apologize. I think I had
mixed up my files."
After an extended discussion, the court
adjourned the sentence hearing in order for
Campshure to meet with his client to discuss
the pre-sentence report. Campshure met with
his client, discussed the pre-sentence
report, and the client was sentenced at the
adjourned sentencing hearing. Campshure
apologized to the court and the court told
him to report his conduct to SPD management,
which he did. The SPD Local Attorney Manager
instructed Campshure to report himself to OLR
for a violation of SCR 20:3.3 Candor toward
the tribunal. Thereafter, Campshure self-
reported his conduct to OLR.
By knowingly making a false statement to the
court at the sentencing hearing that he had
met with his client and discussed the pre-
sentence report, Campshure violated SCR
20:3.3(a)(1) which states, "A lawyer shall
not knowingly: (1) make a false statement of
fact or law to a tribunal or fail to correct
a false statement of material fact or law
previously made to the tribunal by the
lawyer."
Attorney Campshure has no prior discipline.
In accordance with SCR 22.09(3), Attorney
Jeremey Campshure is hereby publicly
reprimanded.
Dated this 3rd day of December, 2024.
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