Suspended attorney facing more penalties

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A former Madison criminal defense attorney is facing disciplinary action for allegedly mishandling cases and practicing law while suspended.

Ernesto Chavez is suspended from practicing in Wisconsin after not cooperating with an Office of Lawyer Regulation investigation. He now lives in Olympia, Wash., and is the co-founder of the book curating company DERT.

The OLR’s complaint, filed March 13, lists 41 counts of alleged misconduct. It states that Chavez lied to clients and failed to perform the actions he said he would. He also mishandled client money by failing to deposit it into a trust account and not drafting agreements.

According to the complaint, Chavez had his license suspended in June 2011 for failing to keep up with his continuing legal education courses. He continued to practice law, though, and was thrown off cases when judges found out, according to the documents.

The OLR is asking the state Supreme Court to suspend Chavez’s law license for a year and to order him to pay $10,000 in restitution.

The number listed for Chavez on the bar’s website was disconnected. He did not immediately respond to an email sent Thursday.

Chavez was also privately reprimanded in 2008 for not keeping two inmate clients informed of developments on their case, according to the complaint. Follow @eheisigWLJ