Imprisoned attorney’s license revoked

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A Kenosha attorney who is in prison for drunken driving can no longer practice license in Wisconsin, the state Supreme Court decided Wednesday.

Charles Labanowsky III, 63, pleaded guilty in June to fifth-offense operating while intoxicated and three counts of bail jumping. He was sentenced in August to three years prison, and he is housed at the Fox Lake Correctional Institution.

Labanowsky – who graduated from Marquette University Law School in 1975 – retired from practicing law in May. In December, he asked the court to revoke his license, stating that he could not defend himself against allegations the Office of Lawyer Regulation was investigating. The court agreed to revoke the license in a per curiam decision.

“The seriousness of Attorney Labanowsky’s misconduct demonstrates the need to revoke his law license to protect the public, the courts, and the legal system from the repetition of misconduct,” the opinion states.

The opinion (PDF) lays out the timeline for Labanowsky’s arrests between April 2012 – when he was found unresponsive behind the wheel after his car jumped a curb – and May 2013 – when he was held in jail on no bond for bail jumping after police found him drunk at his house. During that time, he racked up 10 bail jumping charges.

It also states the OLR was investigating Labanowsky for trust account violations, as he allegedly improperly withdrew money from the account several times and used his law firm’s money to cover for it.

Labanowsky was publicly reprimanded in 2009 following convictions of three OWIs and bail jumping. He also was publicly reprimanded in 2011 following a theft conviction. Follow @eheisigWLJ