Case Title: Disciplinary Counsel v. Gwinn

Citation: 2014-Ohio-101

Docket Number: 2013-1247

State: ohio

Court: Ohio Supreme Court

Date: 2014-01-23T00:00:00Z

Document:
[Until this opinion appears in the Ohio Official Reports advance sheets, it may be cited as 
Disciplinary Counsel v. Gwinn, Slip Opinion No. 2014-Ohio-101.] 
 
 
NOTICE 
This slip opinion is subject to formal revision before it is published in 
an advance sheet of the Ohio Official Reports.  Readers are requested 
to promptly notify the Reporter of Decisions, Supreme Court of Ohio, 
65 South Front Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215, of any typographical or 
other formal errors in the opinion, in order that corrections may be 
made before the opinion is published. 
 
SLIP OPINION NO. 2014-OHIO-101 
DISCIPLINARY COUNSEL v. GWINN. 
[Until this opinion appears in the Ohio Official Reports advance sheets,  
it may be cited as Disciplinary Counsel v. Gwinn,  
Slip Opinion No. 2014-Ohio-101.] 
Attorney misconduct—Conduct adversely reflecting on fitness to practice law—
Violation of financial-disclosure laws—Public reprimand. 
(No. 2013-1247—Submitted September 11, 2013—Decided January 23, 2014.) 
ON CERTIFIED REPORT by the Board of Commissioners on Grievances and 
Discipline of the Supreme Court, No. 13-025. 
____________________ 
Per Curiam. 
{¶ 1} Respondent, Susan Louise Gwinn of Athens, Ohio, Attorney 
Registration No. 0020836, was admitted to the practice of law in Ohio in 1979.  
On April 19, 2013, relator, disciplinary counsel, charged Gwinn with professional 
misconduct after Gwinn was convicted of violating Ohio election laws by failing 
to disclose that certain contributions to her unsuccessful campaign for Athens 
SUPREME COURT OF OHIO 
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County prosecuting attorney were made from loans that she received from her 
brother and a friend. 
{¶ 2} A panel of the Board of Commissioners on Grievances and 
Discipline considered the cause on the parties’ consent-to-discipline agreement.  
See BCGD Proc.Reg. 11. 
{¶ 3} In the consent-to-discipline agreement, Gwinn stipulates to the 
facts alleged in relator’s complaint and agrees that her conduct violated 
Prof.Cond.R. 8.4(h) (prohibiting a lawyer from engaging in conduct that 
adversely reflects on the lawyer’s fitness to practice law). 
{¶ 4} The parties stipulate that mitigating factors include the absence of 
a prior disciplinary record, the absence of a dishonest or selfish motive, a timely 
good-faith effort to rectify the consequences of her misconduct by paying her 
friend back in full and signing a promissory note to her brother, a cooperative 
attitude in both the criminal matter and the disciplinary investigation, evidence of 
good character and reputation, and the imposition of other penalties and sanctions 
as a result of her criminal conviction.  See BCGD Proc.Reg. 10(B)(2)(a), (b), (c), 
(d), (e), and (f).  The parties agree that there are no aggravating factors.  Based 
upon these factors, the parties stipulate that a public reprimand is the appropriate 
sanction for Gwinn’s misconduct. 
{¶ 5} The panel and board found that the consent-to-discipline 
agreement conforms to BCGD Proc.Reg. 11 and recommend that we adopt the 
agreement in its entirety.  In support of its recommendation, the panel refers to 
Disciplinary Counsel v. Taft, 112 Ohio St.3d 155, 2006-Ohio-6525, 858 N.E.2d 
414 (a public reprimand was the appropriate sanction for an attorney who violated 
financial-reporting requirements).  We agree that Gwinn violated Prof.Cond.R. 
8.4(h) and, as stated in the parties’ agreement and as indicated by the cited 
precedent, that this conduct warrants a public reprimand.  Therefore, we adopt the 
parties’ consent-to-discipline agreement. 
January Term, 2014 
3 
 
{¶ 6} Accordingly, Gwinn is publicly reprimanded.  Costs are taxed to 
Gwinn. 
Judgment accordingly. 
O’CONNOR, C.J., and PFEIFER, O’DONNELL, LANZINGER, KENNEDY, 
FRENCH, and O’NEILL, JJ., concur. 
____________________ 
Joseph M. Caligiuri, Chief Assistant Disciplinary Counsel, for relator. 
Frederick Oremus, for respondent. 
________________________