Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Justices send Green Bay attorney’s disciplinary case back to referee

By: Erika Strebel, [email protected]//September 22, 2017//

Justices send Green Bay attorney’s disciplinary case back to referee

By: Erika Strebel, [email protected]//September 22, 2017//

Listen to this article

The Wisconsin Supreme Court is sending a Green Bay attorney’s disciplinary case back to a referee for additional proceedings.

The court’s order stems from charges the Office of Lawyer Regulation filed against Tiffany Luther about two years ago, alleging 13 counts of misconduct that arose from her involvement with a California debt-settlement company and her representation of two clients.

The OLR had sought to have Luther’s license suspended for 18 months but later revised its complaint, dropping three of the most serious charges. Those charges concerned her involvement in Morgan Drexen, a debt-settlement company out of California that was ordered in 2013 to pay back millions to more than 1,000 Wisconsin residents.

Luther and the OLR reached a stipulation in May, and Luther agreed that she had committed the alleged misconduct. The OLR agreed to seek a private reprimand instead of an 18-month suspension of her law license.

The referee Jonathan Goodman accepted the stipulation in June.

The OLR had recommended last month that Luther pay the full cost of her proceeding, which came to $7,414.04. Luther challenged the report, contending that, among other things, she should not have to pay the cost of drafting the complaint because much of that time was spent on the allegations that were later dropped.

Luther is represented by Dean Dietrich of RuderWare, Wausau. The OLR is represented by its assistant litigation counsel, Jonathan Hendrix.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court issued an order on Sept. 11 sending the case back to Goodman, instructing him to submit a supplemental report within 30 days explaining the legal reasons for his recommendation of discipline, make any factual findings regarding Luther’s challenge of costs sought by the OLR and a supplemental report containing findings and a recommendation for what costs Luther ought to pay.

Justice Ann Walsh Bradley did not participate in the order.

“The parties’ stipulation and the report and recommendation do not contain enough information to permit meaningful review of the recommended discipline or the objection to the costs,” the court wrote in the order.

Polls

Should Wisconsin Supreme Court rules be amended so attorneys can't appeal license revocation after 5 years?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

Legal News

See All Legal News

WLJ People

Sea all WLJ People

Opinion Digests