By: Derek Hawkins//January 9, 2019//
WI Supreme Court
Case Name: Office of Lawyer Regulation v. Daniel Parks
Case No.: 2018 WI 110
Focus: Attorney Disciplinary Hearing
Attorney Daniel Parks has appealed a report filed by Referee William Eich concluding that Attorney Parks committed eight of 14 alleged counts of professional misconduct and recommending that Attorney Parks’ license to practice law in Wisconsin be suspended for 14 months, rather than the two-year suspension sought by the Office of Lawyer Regulation (OLR). The referee considered Attorney Parks’ objection to costs and recommends we impose the full costs of this proceeding on Attorney Parks. The OLR did not seek restitution and the referee did not recommend a restitution award.
In his appeal, Attorney Parks argues that the evidence was insufficient to support many of the referee’s factual findings and all of the referee’s conclusions determining misconduct. Attorney Parks argues further that even if the referee’s conclusions are upheld, the violations only support a license suspension of, at most, less than six months.
Upon careful review of this matter, we uphold all of the referee’s findings of fact and conclusions of law and conclude that a 14-month suspension of Attorney Parks’ license to practice law is an appropriate sanction for his misconduct. We also deny Attorney Parks’ objection to costs. We see no reason to deviate from our usual custom, which is to require an attorney who has committed misconduct to pay the full costs of the proceeding, which are $42,226.26 as of July 6, 2018. The OLR did not seek restitution and no restitution is ordered.
Ordered
Concur:
Dissent: