Saukville attorney wants disciplinary charges dismissed

Listen to this article

A Saukville attorney is fighting allegations that he failed to act diligently and promptly while representing a criminal defendant.

The Office of Lawyer Regulation in June charged Perry Lieuallen with one count of misconduct stemming from his representation of a criminal defendant in Waukesha County Circuit Court against charges of stalking, criminal damage to property and criminal trespassing involving his girlfriend.

A jury found the defendant guilty, and he was sentenced to three and a half years in prison. The trial court later overturned the conviction on a motion for reconsideration, finding that Lieuallen had failed to interview 20 witnesses that, had they been contacted or subpoenaed, would have testified that his relationship with his girlfriend had been different than what the prosecution had told the jury.

The OLR is asking the Wisconsin Supreme Court to publicly reprimand Lieuallen for failing to act promptly and diligently while representing a client.

Lieuallen filed an answer on July 25 admitting to some of the facts in the OLR’s complaint while denying others. He further denied that he had failed to act with reasonable promptness and diligence and asked that the complaint be dismissed.

Lieuallen is represented by Terry Johnson of Peterson, Johnson & Murray in Milwaukee. The OLR is represented by its assistant litigation counsel, Sheryl St. Ores.

The court-appointed referee in the case is Kim Peterson, who will hold a public hearing on the matter and file a report that includes a recommendation for discipline or dismissal. The Wisconsin Supreme Court will review Peterson’s findings and make a final decision in the case. Follow @erikastrebel