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Wisconsin Attorneys' Professional Discipline Compendium
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Disciplinary Proceedings Against Petros
2014 WI 1, 1/3/2014 (2014)
ATTORNEY disciplinary proceeding. Attorney's license suspended.
¶1 PER CURIAM. We review a stipulation filed by the Office of Lawyer Regulation (OLR) and Attorney Christopher Stephen Petros pursuant to SCR 22.12. The stipulation requests this court to suspend Attorney Petros's license to practice law in Wisconsin as reciprocal discipline identical to that imposed by the Minnesota Supreme Court.
¶2 Attorney Petros was admitted to practice law in Wisconsin in 2009. According to the stipulation, on August 6, 2013, the Minnesota Supreme Court suspended Attorney Petros's Minnesota law license for 90 days based on misconduct consisting of submitting false evidence and making false statements to the director of the Minnesota Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility; failing to notify a client about a hearing; lying to a court through an associate and failing to correct the misrepresentations he caused to be made to the court; failing to timely notify clients of their appeal rights and that he would not file an appeal on their behalf; and failing to diligently pursue a client's case, communicate with that client, and timely return the client's property, in violation of Minn. R. Prof. Conduct 1.3, 1.4, 1.16(d), 3.3(a)(1), 8.1(a), and 8.4(c) and (d).
¶3 On September 19, 2013, the OLR filed a complaint alleging that by virtue of having received discipline imposed in Minnesota for his violations of the Minnesota Rules of Professional Conduct, Attorney Petros is subject to reciprocal discipline in Wisconsin pursuant to SCR 22.22.
¶4 In the stipulation, Attorney Petros does not claim that any of the conditions listed in SCRs 22.22(3)(a) through (c) prevent the imposition of reciprocal discipline in this case. Attorney Petros and the OLR jointly request that Attorney Petros's license to practice law in Wisconsin be suspended for 90 days.
¶5 The stipulation properly provides that it did not result from plea bargaining. Attorney Petros says he does not contest the facts and misconduct alleged by the OLR or the discipline that the OLR's director is seeking in this matter. Attorney Petros further states that he fully understands the misconduct allegations and the ramifications should this court impose the stipulated level of discipline. He also states he fully understands his right to contest the matter and he understands his right to consult with counsel. Attorney Petros further states that his entry into the stipulation is made knowingly and voluntarily and represents his decision not to contest the misconduct alleged in the OLR's complaint or the level and type of discipline sought by the OLR director.
¶6 Based upon our independent review of the matter, we conclude that the SCR 22.12 stipulation should be accepted and that Attorney Petros's license to practice law in Wisconsin should be suspended for 90 days as reciprocal discipline identical to that imposed by the Minnesota Supreme Court. Since Attorney Petros entered into a stipulation with the OLR and there was no need to appoint a referee, we agree that no costs should be assessed.
¶7 IT IS ORDERED that the license of Christopher Stephen Petros to practice law in Wisconsin is suspended for a period of 90 days, effective February 3, 2014.
¶8 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Christopher Stephen Petros shall comply with provisions of SCR 22.26 concerning the duties of a person whose license to practice law in Wisconsin has been suspended.
¶9 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that compliance with all conditions of this order is required for reinstatement. See SCR 22.28 (2).
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