Case Title: Office of Lawyer Regulation v. Gricel S. Echavarria

Citation: 2004 WI 51

Docket Number: 

State: wisconsin

Court: Wisconsin Supreme Court

Date: 2004-05-12T00:00:00Z

Document:
2004 WI 51 
 
 
 
SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN 
 
 
 
 
 
CASE NO.: 
04-0499-D 
COMPLETE TITLE: 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Gricel S. Echavarria, Attorney at Law: 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation,  
          Complainant, 
 
     v. 
 
Gricel S. Echavarria,  
          Respondent. 
 
 
 
DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AGAINST ECHAVARRIA 
 
 
OPINION FILED: 
May 12, 2004   
SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS: 
        
ORAL ARGUMENT: 
        
 
 
SOURCE OF APPEAL: 
 
 
COURT: 
        
 
COUNTY: 
        
 
JUDGE: 
        
 
 
 
JUSTICES: 
 
 
CONCURRED: 
        
 
DISSENTED: 
        
 
NOT PARTICIPATING:         
 
 
 
ATTORNEYS: 
 
      
 
 
2004 WI 51 
NOTICE 
This opinion is subject to further 
editing and modification.  The final 
version will appear in the bound 
volume of the official reports.   
No.  04-0499-D  
 
STATE OF WISCONSIN  
 
 
   : 
IN SUPREME COURT 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Gricel S. Echavarria, Attorney  
at Law: 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation,  
 
          Complainant, 
 
     v. 
 
Gricel S. Echavarria,  
 
          Respondent. 
 
FILED 
 
MAY 12, 2004 
 
Cornelia G. Clark 
Clerk of Supreme Court 
 
 
 
 
 
ATTORNEY 
disciplinary 
proceeding.  Attorney's 
license 
suspended.   
 
¶1 
PER CURIAM.   We review the stipulation filed by 
Attorney 
Gricel 
S. 
Echavarria 
and 
the 
Office 
of 
Lawyer 
Regulation (OLR) pursuant to SCR 22.121 concerning Attorney 
                                                 
1 SCR 22.12 provides: Stipulation.  
(1) The director may file with the complaint a 
stipulation of the director and the respondent to the 
facts, conclusions of law regarding misconduct, and 
discipline to be imposed. The supreme court may 
consider the complaint and stipulation without the 
appointment of a referee.  
No. 
04-0499-D   
 
2 
 
Echavarria's professional 
misconduct 
that resulted in her 
conviction in federal court for conspiracy to produce and 
transfer false identification documents, counterfeit resident 
alien cards, and counterfeit social security cards, in violation 
of 
18 
U.S.C. §§ 1028(a) 
and 
1546(a), 
and 
42 
U.S.C. § 408(a)(7)(C), a Class D felony.  The parties stipulated 
that the appropriate discipline to impose for that professional 
misconduct is the suspension of Attorney Echavarria's license to 
practice law for two years, retroactive to the date on which 
Attorney Echavarria's license to practice law was summarily 
suspended based on her criminal conviction.  
¶2 
We approve the stipulation and adopt the stipulated 
facts and conclusions of law.  We agree that the seriousness of 
Attorney Echavarria's misconduct warrants the suspension of her 
license to practice law.  We accept the parties' stipulation 
that a two-year suspension is appropriate discipline for this 
offense.  We further agree that it is appropriate to make the 
suspension retroactive to the date Attorney Echavarria's license 
was summarily suspended based on her criminal conviction. 
                                                                                                                                                             
(2) If the supreme court approves a stipulation, 
it shall adopt the stipulated facts and conclusions of 
law and impose the stipulated discipline. 
(3) If the supreme court rejects the stipulation, 
a referee shall be appointed and the matter shall 
proceed as a complaint filed without a stipulation. 
(4) A stipulation rejected by the supreme court 
has no evidentiary value and is without prejudice to 
the respondent's defense of the proceeding or the 
prosecution of the complaint.  
No. 
04-0499-D   
 
3 
 
¶3 
Attorney Echavarria was admitted to practice law in 
Wisconsin in 2000.  In April 2003 she and her husband Victor 
were indicted in United States District Court for the Western 
District of Wisconsin on charges relating to the production and 
sale of counterfeit identification documents.  That same month 
an agent of the FBI and a special agent with the Social Security 
Administration interviewed Attorney Echavarria.  She told the 
agents that in May 2001 she had learned that her husband was 
involved in manufacturing fraudulent documents.  She said on the 
average her husband earned between $400 and $500 a month making 
and selling the fraudulent documents.  She said on approximately 
three occasions her husband asked her to rewrite information on 
handwritten lists containing names, social security numbers, 
dates of birth, gender, and ages of persons and she did so. She 
said after November 2002 her husband occasionally asked her to 
call the Social Security Administration to verify social 
security numbers and she did this, using her employer tax 
identification number and telling social security officials that 
she was calling to check on a potential or recently hired 
employee.  
¶4 
Attorney Echavarria told agents that on one or two 
occasions she made and sold false documents by herself.  She 
said there were times when her husband would ask her to sign a 
name to a fraudulent document and she did so.  She said she and 
her husband shared some of the same clients so possibly 80 
percent of her clients had illegal status.  She told the agents 
she had seen pictures on her home computer (which had been taken 
No. 
04-0499-D   
 
4 
 
for identification documents) of people she had seen in her law 
office.  Incriminating evidence found at her home included lists 
of names and social security numbers in her handwriting, cards 
she had signed for people who could not write, and pictures of 
people in her home computer that had dealt with her in her law 
office.   
¶5 
In May of 2003 Attorney Echavarria self-reported her 
indictment to the OLR through her then counsel.  On June 23, 
2003, she pled guilty to the conspiracy count, pursuant to a 
plea agreement.  On August 20, 2003, she was sentenced to 27 
months in prison.  She is currently serving that sentence at 
Federal Prison Camp in Greenville, Illinois.  On November 17, 
2003, this court summarily suspended Attorney Echavarria's 
license based on her criminal conviction. 
¶6 
Attorney Echavarria and the OLR have stipulated that 
the conduct for which she was convicted constitutes a criminal 
act that reflects adversely on her honesty, trustworthiness, or 
fitness as a lawyer, in violation of SCR 20:8.4(b).2  The parties 
stipulated that Attorney Echavarria's misconduct was aggravated 
by her 
knowledge 
of and 
participation in 
a 
pattern of 
misconduct, the element of personal gain resulting from the 
misconduct, her willful violations of the law, and by the damage 
                                                 
2 SCR 20:8.4(b) provides: "It is professional misconduct for 
a lawyer to: (b) commit a criminal act that reflects adversely 
on the lawyer's honesty, trustworthiness or fitness as a lawyer 
in other respects." 
 
No. 
04-0499-D   
 
5 
 
her misconduct and criminal conviction have caused to the 
perception of the integrity of lawyers in the legal system.  
¶7 
The stipulation goes on to say that mitigating factors 
include Attorney Echavarria's lack of prior disciplinary history 
and her relative lack of experience as a lawyer at the time of 
her misconduct.  The stipulation notes that, although not 
mitigating factors per se, this court may consider the fact that 
Attorney Echavarria self-reported her indictment and cooperated 
with the OLR's investigation.  The stipulation also points out 
that during the course of its investigation the OLR received a 
substantial 
number 
of 
letters 
from 
Attorney 
Echavarria's 
friends, 
relatives, 
law 
professors, 
teachers, 
and 
fellow 
attorneys, all pleading that she be given the chance to again 
practice law.  The stipulation also notes the submissions 
indicate that Attorney Echavarria, a member of a Puerto Rican 
family that valued education, overcame poverty to obtain two 
masters degrees, followed by her law degree from the University 
of Wisconsin.  The stipulation says the submissions describe 
Attorney Echavarria as hardworking, unfailingly helpful, putting 
others 
ahead 
of 
herself, 
and 
dedicated 
to 
the 
Hispanic 
community. 
 
The 
stipulation 
also 
notes 
that 
Attorney 
Echavarria's sentencing statement reinforces her acceptance of 
responsibility for her actions and the remorse she feels 
concerning her conduct.   
¶8 
We adopt the findings of fact and conclusions of law 
to which the parties have stipulated concerning Attorney 
Echavarria's professional misconduct.  We determine that the 
No. 
04-0499-D   
 
6 
 
seriousness of the misconduct, in light of the aggravating and 
mitigating factors, warrants the suspension of her license to 
practice law for two years. 
¶9 
IT IS ORDERED that the license of Gricel S. Echavarria 
to practice law in Wisconsin is suspended for a period of two 
years, retroactive to November 17, 2003.  
¶10 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that, if she has not already 
done so, Attorney Echavarria comply with the provisions of SCR 
22.26 concerning the duties of a person whose license to 
practice law in Wisconsin has been suspended.   
No. 
04-0499-D   
 
 
 
1