Case Title: Office of Lawyer Regulation v. John E. Sanborn

Citation: 2002 WI 113

Docket Number: 2002AP001301-D

State: wisconsin

Court: Wisconsin Supreme Court

Date: 2002-09-26T00:00:00Z

Document:
2002 WI 113 
 
 
 
SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN 
 
 
 
 
 
CASE NO.: 
02-1301-D 
 
 
COMPLETE TITLE: 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against John E. Sanborn, Attorney at Law: 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation,  
 
Complainant, 
 
v. 
John E. Sanborn,  
 
Respondent. 
 
 
 
 
DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AGAINST SANBORN 
 
 
OPINION FILED: 
September 26, 2002   
SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS: 
        
ORAL ARGUMENT: 
        
 
 
SOURCE OF APPEAL: 
 
 
COURT: 
        
 
COUNTY: 
        
 
JUDGE: 
        
 
 
 
JUSTICES: 
 
 
CONCURRED: 
        
 
DISSENTED: 
        
 
NOT PARTICIPATING:         
 
 
 
ATTORNEYS: 
 
      
 
 
2002 WI 113 
 
 
SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTICE 
This order is subject to further 
editing and modification.  The 
final version will appear in the 
bound volume of the official 
reports.   
 
 
 
No.  02-1301-D 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against John E. Sanborn, Attorney at Law: 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation,  
 
          Complainant, 
 
     v. 
 
John E. Sanborn,  
 
          Respondent. 
 
FILED 
 
SEPT 26, 2002 
 
Cornelia G. Clark 
Clerk of Supreme Court 
Madison, WI 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Court entered the following order on this date: 
 
Attorney 
John 
E. 
Sanborn 
has 
filed 
a 
petition 
for 
consensual license revocation under SCR 22.19 indicating that he 
cannot defend against allegations of misconduct currently being 
investigated by the Office of Lawyer Regulation and admitting 
that he has misused certain trust funds belonging to clients 
including the John Cook Estate.  OLR has filed a response in 
which it concurs with Attorney Sanborn’s request.  It indicates 
that it has been investigating 70 allegations of misconduct 
against him and had previously filed a complaint alleging nine 
counts, with remaining matters arising out of the original 70 
allegations to be investigated further.  That complaint has 
subsequently been withdrawn.     
 
This court temporarily suspended Attorney Sanborn’s license 
on October 23, 2001 upon motion by OLR which alleged that his 
continued practice of law posed a threat to the interest of the 
No.  02-1301-D 
2 
public and the administration of justice.  At that time, and 
also on June 11, 2002, this court denied petitions by Attorney 
Sanborn for a consensual license revocation based upon medical 
incapacity.   
 
Attorney Sanborn’s prior disciplinary history consists of:  
(1) a 1998 private reprimand for failure to act with reasonable 
diligence and promptness in representing a client, failure to 
adequately communicate with the client, failure to properly 
supervise a non-lawyer assistant, failure to cooperate with the 
investigation of that misconduct, and trust account violations; 
and, (2) a 2000 private reprimand for failure to cooperate with 
the investigation of a grievance. 
 
Accordingly, 
 
IT IS ORDERED that the petition for consensual license 
revocation is granted and the license of Attorney John E. 
Sanborn to practice law in this state is revoked, effective the 
date of this order. 
 
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Attorney John E. Sanborn make 
restitution to the John Cook Estate in the amount of $5,000 
within 60 days of the date of this order. 
 
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Attorney Sanborn comply with the 
provisions of SCR 22.26 concerning the duties of an attorney 
whose license to practice law has been revoked, to the extent he 
has not already done so as a result of this court’s order of 
October 23, 2001. 
 
 
 
 
No.  02-1301-D 
2