Office of Lawyer Regulation v. B. C. Fischer

Summary

The Wisconsin Supreme Court imposed reciprocal discipline on B.C. Fischer based on a Minnesota Supreme Court disciplinary order. The court suspended Fischer's Wisconsin law license for 120 days and required compliance with the conditions imposed by Minnesota for reinstatement. Existing administrative suspensions remained in effect until the underlying deficiencies were corrected.

Holdings

1. Under SCR 22.22, Wisconsin must impose identical discipline unless one of the rule's specified exceptions applies. Because Fischer stipulated that no exception applied, the court imposed a 120-day suspension of his Wisconsin law license.
2. Reciprocal discipline must include the Minnesota Supreme Court's reinstatement conditions. Fischer must comply with those conditions before the 120-day Wisconsin suspension is lifted, in addition to satisfying Wisconsin's reinstatement requirements.
3. Fischer was not required to pay the costs of the proceeding because the matter was resolved by stipulation without the need for litigation.
4. Fischer's existing administrative suspensions remain in effect until each underlying deficiency is rectified under SCR 22.28(1).

Questions Presented

1. Whether Wisconsin should impose reciprocal discipline based on the Minnesota Supreme Court's suspension of Fischer.
2. Whether Wisconsin's reciprocal discipline must include the conditions imposed by the Minnesota Supreme Court for reinstatement.
3. Whether Fischer should be required to pay the costs of the Wisconsin disciplinary proceeding.

Disposition

other