Saukville attorney faces public reprimand

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A Saukville attorney is faced with a public reprimand over allegations that he failed to act diligently and promptly while representing a criminal defendant.

According to a complaint filed June 28 by the Office of Lawyer Regulation, Perry Lieuallen was hired by the Greenfield resident Kim Gentz to defend him against stalking, criminal damage to property and criminal trespassing in Waukesha County in a case that involved a girlfriend. A jury found Gentz guilty in March 2013, and he was sentenced to three and a half years in prison. Lieuallen withdrew from the case after his trial.

But Judge Lee Dreyfus overturned Gentz’s conviction after the state Court of Appeals had dismissed his appeal and instead directed the trial court to conduct further proceedings on a motion for reconsideration, according to the complaint.

Dreyfus found that Lieuallen had failed to call witnesses that, had they been contacted or subpoenaed, would have testified that Gentz’s relationship with his girlfriend had been different than what the prosecution had told the jury.

Dreyfus also found that Lieuallen failed to investigate whether those witnesses should have been called, and failed to investigate and call witnesses who would have provided testimony that the girlfriend had instigated contact during the period prosecutors alleged Gentz had been stalking her.

All told, the OLR alleges Lieuallen failed to interview 20 defense witnesses and failed to call any of them to testify.

The OLR is asking the Wisconsin Supreme Court to publicly reprimand Lieuallen.

Lieuallen, who has been licensed in Wisconsin since 1973, could not be reached immediately. He has 21 days to respond to the OLR’s complaint.

Lieuallen’s license is active and in good standing, according to the OLR and State Bar websites. The state Supreme Court revoked his license in 2001 for, among other things, using $60,000 he was supposed to be holding in trust for clients. He is suspected of using that money to pay personal expenses. The court reinstated Lieuallen’s license in 2007. Follow @erikastrebel