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¶20 SHIRLEY S. ABRAHAMSON, J.
(concurring in part and dissenting in
part). I concur with the per curiam
opinion accepting the stipulation between
Attorney Gillette and OLR and suspending
Attorney Gillette's license for 60 days as
reciprocal discipline identical to that
imposed by the Supreme Court of Minnesota.
¶21 I dissent from the per curiam's
order requiring Attorney Gillette to comply
with the terms and conditions imposed by the
disciplinary order in Minnesota to make the
discipline identical under SCR 22.22(3).
¶22 This proceeding raises two questions
for me.
¶23 First, the proceeding raises the
question whether the court has extended a
stipulation beyond its terms. Attorney
Gillette and the OLR did not stipulate to
any Minnesota discipline other than a 60-day
suspension.
¶24 Second, the proceeding raises the
question of what is identical discipline in
a reciprocal discipline matter. Supreme
Court Rule 22.22(3) provides that in
reciprocal discipline cases this court
"shall impose the identical discipline"
imposed by the other state.
¶25 Minnesota has imposed forms of
discipline on Attorney Gillette that
Wisconsin typically does not impose.
Nevertheless, the per curiam imposes this
Minnesota discipline on Attorney Gillette as
part of Attorney Gillette's Wisconsin
discipline.
¶26 Two other reciprocal disciplinary
proceedings have been pending before this
court while the instant case has been
considered: In re Disciplinary
Proceedings Against Buzawa, No.
2016AP2351-D, unpublished order (Wis. S. Ct.
Apr. 10, 2017; separate writing May 11,
2017), and In re Disciplinary Proceedings
Against Peiss, 2017 WI 49, _ Wis. 2d
_, _ N.W.2d _. They too present
issues about identical reciprocal
discipline.
¶27 Attorney Gillette's stipulation with
OLR reads, in relevant part, as follows:
10. Gillette agrees that it
would be appropriate for the Supreme Court
of Wisconsin to impose the level of
discipline sought by OLR's Director,
specifically, a 60 day suspension of
Gillette's license to practice law in
Wisconsin. (Emphasis added.)
¶28 This is the only provision
in the stipulation relating to the Minnesota
or Wisconsin discipline.
¶29 OLR's Memorandum in Support of SCR
22.12 Stipulation, filed on April 19, 2017,
states: "Gillette and OLR signed a SCR
22.12 Stipulation requesting the Supreme
Court of Wisconsin to approve the parties'
stipulation and suspend Gillette's Wisconsin
license to practice law for 60 days based
upon the Minnesota action."
¶30 It is evident from the stipulation
and the OLR memorandum that Attorney
Gillette stipulated only to the 60-day
suspension of his license to practice law in
Wisconsin. He did not stipulate to any
other reciprocal discipline. He could have
so stipulated, but he did not. He might so
stipulate if asked, but he has not been
asked.
¶31 Instead, the court takes a short-cut
and reads the stipulation to include terms
not stated. To respond to this criticism
that the court has not abided by the
parties' stipulation, the court in n.4 tries
to prove the stipulation is broader than its
terms. It bootstraps Litigation Counsel
William Weigel's description of the
stipulation as a "comprehensive stipulation"
in his separate statement of OLR costs to
mean that Attorney Gillette stipulated to
more than the 60-day suspension.
¶32 Attorney John T. Payette, Assistant
Litigation Counsel, not Attorney Weigel,
signed the Complaint and Motion for
reciprocal discipline on November 21, 2016,
the stipulation with Attorney Gillette on
February 28, 2017, and the OLR Memorandum on
April 19, 2017. OLR Attorney Payette's
description of the stipulation, not Attorney
Weigel's obvious off-hand comment in a
document relating to costs, is of import.
¶33 The instant case is not consistent
with Office of Lawyer Regulation v.
Curtin, 2014 WI 90, 357 Wis. 2d 247, 849
N.W.2d 747, or In re Disciplinary
Proceedings Against Milos, 2012 WI 6, 338
Wis. 2d 316, 808 N.W.2d 128.
¶34 In Curtin, the stipulation filed
by OLR and Attorney Curtin requested the
court to publicly reprimand Attorney Curtin
as reciprocal discipline identical to that
imposed by Arizona; no request was made to
impose other discipline imposed by Arizona.
Arizona imposed a reprimand, a year of
probation, and participation in a trust
account ethics program. The Wisconsin
Supreme Court imposed only a public
reprimand, not the other discipline imposed
by Arizona.
¶35 This court does not explain why
Attorney Gillette is being treated
differently than Attorney Curtin, although
the key aspects of the stipulations in the
two cases are the same.
¶36 In contrast, in In re Disciplinary
Proceedings Against Milos, 2012 WI 6, 338
Wis. 2d 316, 808 N.W.2d 128, the OLR and
Attorney Milos stipulated to the imposition
of discipline identical to that imposed by
Illinois. Illinois imposed a 90-day
suspension and directed Attorney Milos to
complete the Illinois Commission's
Professionalism Seminar and to reimburse the
Client Protection Program Trust Fund. This
court ordered a 90-day suspension and
compliance "with the terms and conditions
set forth in the Illinois Supreme Court's
order." This court does not explain why
Attorney Gillette is being treated the same
as Attorney Milos although the key aspects
of the stipulations in the two cases are
different.
¶37 The court's order imposing the
Minnesota terms to make the discipline
identical in Wisconsin relies on two prior
cases: In re Disciplinary Proceedings
Against Moree, 2004 WI 118, 275 Wis. 2d
279, 281, 684 N.W.2d 667, and In re
Disciplinary Proceedings Against Hooker,
2010 WI 13, 322 Wis. 2d 552, 779 N.W.2d 419.
Neither case is applicable in the instant
case.
¶38 In Moree, unlike in the instant
case, "[t]he OLR and Attorney Moree request
and stipulate that as reciprocal discipline
this court impose a three-month suspension .
. . and order him to comply with the terms
and conditions established by the Illinois
Supreme Court." Moree, 275 Wis. 2d at
281. Moree agreed to imposition of the
Illinois conditions. See also the Milos
case, described above.
¶39 In In re Disciplinary Proceedings
Against Hooker, 2010 WI 13, ¶9, 322 Wis.
2d 552, 779 N.W.2d 419, this court ordered
Attorney Hooker to show cause why the
imposition of discipline identical to that
imposed by Colorado would be unwarranted.
Attorney Hooker did not respond to the court
order. The court imposed a form of
discipline imposed by Colorado even though
Wisconsin does not typically impose that
form of discipline.
¶40 This court in the instant case has
not given Attorney Gillette or OLR notice
and an opportunity to be heard on the issue
of what constitutes identical discipline.
Instead, this court unilaterally enlarges
Gillette's and the OLR's stipulation and
decides by itself and for itself what
constitutes identical discipline.
¶41 As far as I am concerned, this court
has overstepped the stipulation and has not
followed prior reciprocal discipline cases
in the instant case.
¶42 The instant case made me curious
about other reciprocal discipline cases. In
searching the OLR discipline cases of the
last five years, I found 24 reciprocal
discipline cases to discuss in considering
the instant case, In re Disciplinary
Proceedings Against Buzawa, No.
2016AP2351-D, unpublished order (Wis. S. Ct.
Apr. 10, 2017; separate writing May 11,
2017), and In re Disciplinary Proceedings
Against Peiss, 2017 WI 49, _ Wis. 2d
_, _ N.W.2d _.
¶43 In most of these reciprocal
discipline cases in the last five years,
identical discipline could be and was
imposed in Wisconsin.
¶44 The other reciprocal discipline
cases pose a variety of issues. I have
discussed Curtin and Milos above.
Here is a synopsis of some of these other
reciprocal discipline cases.
¶45 In In re Disciplinary Proceedings
Against Taber, 2012 WI 9, 338 Wis. 2d 534,
809 N.W.2d 29, Arizona imposed a one-year
suspension, probation with conditions, and
restitution. The attorney did not respond
to this court's order to show cause why
reciprocal discipline was not warranted.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended the
attorney's license for one year and ordered
the attorney to comply with the terms of
probation and restitution. For other
reciprocal discipline cases in which the
attorney did not respond to the court's
order to show cause and the court imposed
conditions imposed by the other state not
generally imposed in Wisconsin, see In re
Disciplinary Proceedings Against Waters,
2016 WI 15, 367 Wis. 2d 279, 876 N.W.2d 145;
In re Disciplinary Proceedings Against
Manion, 2016 WI 88, 372 Wis. 2d 34, 886
N.W.2d 371.
¶46 In In re Disciplinary Proceedings
Against Eichhorn-Hicks, 2012 WI 18, 338
Wis. 2d 753, 809 N.W.2d 379, Minnesota
imposed a public reprimand, a one-year
suspension, and probation for two years with
conditions. Because the period of probation
(without any violation) expired before this
court imposed reciprocal discipline, the
discipline imposed in Wisconsin was
identical to that imposed by Minnesota: a
public reprimand and one-year suspension.
The issue in Eichhorn-Hicks was whether
Wisconsin's one-year suspension should be
effective as of the date of the order or
whether it should be retroactive.
¶47 In In re Disciplinary Proceedings
Against Nett, 2014 WI 106, 358 Wis. 2d
300, 852 N.W.2d 486, Minnesota suspended
Attorney Nett's Minnesota license with no
right to petition for reinstatement for a
minimum of nine months. The attorney did
not timely respond to the Wisconsin Supreme
Court's order to show cause why reciprocal
discipline is not warranted but sent a
letter to the OLR stating that she did not
contest the OLR's complaint requesting the
court to suspend her license for one year.
This court stated it was imposing identical
discipline and suspended the attorney's
Wisconsin license for one year, not the nine
months to which Minnesota referred. No
explanation appears for the one-year
suspension rather than nine months.
¶48 In sum, three cautions arise from
the instant case and my analysis of the 24
reciprocal discipline cases in the last five
years:
(1) A stipulation is a
stipulation is a stipulation. If the court
does not want to adhere to the stipulation,
it must take appropriate steps to decline
the stipulation. Although this court just
cannot unilaterally stretch the terms of the
stipulation to make it suit the court's
purposes, it has.
(2) The court should treat
similarly situated persons similarly. On
the basis of my five-year study, the case
law in reciprocal discipline is not
consistent.
(3) The instant case and the
numerous reciprocal discipline cases I
summarize above are illustrative of
foreseeable and recurring problems in
reciprocal discipline. I suggest that the
OLR Procedure Review Committee (Professor
Marsha Mansfield, University of Wisconsin
Law School, Reporter), appointed by the
court in June 2016, review and revise the
Supreme Court Rules imposing reciprocal
identical discipline when a lawyer licensed
in Wisconsin is disciplined in another
state.
¶49 For the reasons set forth, I dissent
from the per curiam opinion imposing
discipline beyond the 60-day suspension to
which Attorney Gillette and the OLR
stipulated.
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