Professional Responsibility — suspension

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Wisconsin Supreme Court

Civil

Professional Responsibility — suspension

Where attorney Arik J. Guenther has been suspended four times, and committed a third-offense drunken driving, a one-year suspension is appropriate.

“Turning to the appropriate level of discipline, we agree with the referee that the seriousness of Attorney Guenther’s misconduct and our practice of imposing progressively stronger sanctions require a one-year suspension of Attorney Guenther’s license to practice law in this state. Unlike the disciplinary proceeding involving Attorney Soldon, this is the fifth time that Attorney Guenther has committed misconduct serious enough to warrant a suspension. He was already disciplined for very similar misconduct in Guenther III. Specifically, although he had been disciplined in that proceeding for criminal convictions that arose out of improper actions toward his then-wife, he subsequently chose to violate a domestic abuse injunction by sending legal documents to her directly. Further, although he had been disciplined in Guenther III for his second offense of operating a motor vehicle with a PAC, he engaged in the conduct again, leading to a third PAC conviction. This repetition of misconduct makes the violations in this matter more troubling and worthy of a lengthier suspension, which hopefully will impress upon him the seriousness of his misconduct and the need to conform his conduct to both the criminal laws of this state and the Rules of Professional Conduct for Attorneys.”

2012AP967-D OLR v. Guenther

Per Curiam.

Attorneys: For Complainant: Hendrix, Jonathan E., Madison; For Respondent: Guenther, Arik J., Jackson