In re Jessica Wilson

Summary

The Vermont Supreme Court imposed reciprocal discipline on Jessica E. Wilson after she was publicly reprimanded in Connecticut for professional misconduct and failure to timely respond to a grievance complaint. The court found that she failed to establish any basis under Vermont Administrative Order 9, Rule 24(D) for imposing discipline different from the Connecticut sanction and entered an order publicly reprimanding her.

Holdings

1. Under Administrative Order 9, Rule 24(D), Vermont must impose the identical discipline imposed by the other jurisdiction unless the record or the submissions establish one of the specified grounds for deviation.
2. A respondent may not relitigate misconduct already established in another jurisdiction in a Vermont reciprocal-discipline proceeding.
3. A generalized assertion that reciprocal discipline is unfair or that the respondent has already been punished does not establish the grave-injustice exception under Administrative Order 9, Rule 24(D)(3).

Questions Presented

1. Whether Vermont was required to impose identical reciprocal discipline after Wilson was disciplined in Connecticut.
2. Whether Wilson established any Administrative Order 9, Rule 24(D) ground warranting discipline different from the Connecticut public reprimand.
3. Whether Wilson could relitigate the merits of the Connecticut disciplinary decision in the Vermont reciprocal-discipline proceeding.

Disposition

other