Case Title: Office of Lawyer Regulation v. Randy J. Wynn

Citation: 2014 WI 17

Docket Number: 2013AP001362-D

State: wisconsin

Court: Wisconsin Supreme Court

Date: 2014-03-26T00:00:00Z

Document:
2014 WI 17 
 
SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN 
 
 
 
 
 
CASE NO.: 
2013AP1362-D   
COMPLETE TITLE: 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings  
Against Randy J. Wynn, Attorney at Law: 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation, 
          Complainant, 
     v. 
Randy J. Wynn, 
          Respondent. 
 
 
 
 
DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AGAINST WYNN   
 
 
OPINION FILED: 
March 26, 2014 
SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS: 
        
ORAL ARGUMENT: 
 
 
 
SOURCE OF APPEAL: 
 
 
COURT: 
         
 
COUNTY: 
      
 
JUDGE: 
      
 
 
 
JUSTICES: 
 
 
CONCURRED: 
        
 
DISSENTED: 
        
 
NOT PARTICIPATING: ABRAHAMSON, C.J., did not participate.    
 
 
 
ATTORNEYS: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2014 WI 17
NOTICE 
This opinion is subject to further 
editing and modification.  The final 
version will appear in the bound 
volume of the official reports.   
No.   2013AP1362-D 
 
 
STATE OF WISCONSIN  
 
 
   : 
IN SUPREME COURT 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings  
Against Randy J. Wynn, Attorney at Law: 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation, 
 
          Complainant, 
 
     v. 
 
Randy J. Wynn, 
 
          Respondent. 
 
FILED 
 
MAR 26, 2014 
 
Diane M. Fremgen 
Clerk of Supreme Court 
 
 
 
 
ATTORNEY 
disciplinary 
proceeding.  Attorney's 
license 
revoked.   
 
¶1 
PER CURIAM.   Attorney Randy J. Wynn has filed a 
petition for consensual license revocation under SCR 22.19.1 
                                                 
1 SCR 22.19 states as follows:  Petition for consensual 
license revocation. 
 
(1)  An attorney who is the subject of an 
investigation 
for 
possible 
misconduct 
or 
the 
respondent in a proceeding may file with the supreme 
court a petition for the revocation by consent or his 
or her license to practice law.   
No. 
2013AP1362-D   
 
2 
 
¶2 
Attorney Wynn's license has been suspended since 
August 9, 2013, pending receipt of additional information needed 
to render a restitution order.  The Office of Lawyer Regulation 
(OLR) has provided this court with the most complete accounting 
available and the parties have agreed that it is a final 
accounting for purposes of this petition.  Accordingly, we 
accept the petition, direct Attorney Wynn to pay restitution as 
set forth herein, and revoke Attorney Wynn's license to practice 
law in Wisconsin. 
                                                                                                                                                             
 
(2)  The petition shall state that the petitioner 
cannot successfully defend against the allegations of 
misconduct. 
 
(3)  If a complaint has not been filed, the 
petition shall be filed in the supreme court and shall 
include the director's summary of the misconduct 
allegations being investigated.  Within 20 days after 
the date of filing of the petition, the director shall 
file in the supreme court a recommendation on the 
petition.  Upon a showing of good cause, the supreme 
court may extend the time for filing a recommendation. 
 
(4)  If a complaint has been filed, the petition 
shall be filed in the supreme court and served on the 
director and on the referee to whom the proceeding has 
been assigned.  Within 20 days after the filing of the 
petition, the director shall file in the supreme court 
a response in support of or in opposition to the 
petition and serve a copy on the referee.  Upon a 
showing of good cause, the supreme court may extend 
the time for filing a response.  The referee shall 
file a report and recommendation on the petition in 
the supreme court within 30 days after receipt of the 
director's response. 
 
(5)  The supreme court shall grant the petition 
and revoke the petitioner's license to practice law or 
deny the petition and remand the matter to the 
director or to the referee for further proceedings. 
No. 
2013AP1362-D   
 
3 
 
¶3 
Attorney Wynn was admitted to the practice of law in 
Wisconsin in 1979.  He is a solo practitioner from West Allis 
who, until his suspension, worked primarily in the area of debt 
collection.  He has no previous disciplinary history. 
¶4 
In November 2012 Attorney Wynn self-reported to the 
Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office (MCDA) and to the 
OLR that he had stolen money from his IOLTA client trust account 
to fund a severe gambling addiction and to pay personal bills.  
The funds in Attorney Wynn's trust account were generated from 
money judgments that Attorney Wynn secured on behalf of various 
clients.  Attorney Wynn admitted that he had taken a significant 
amount of money from his trust account over the past several 
years; he was not certain of the exact amount. 
¶5 
In March 2013 Attorney Wynn provided the MCDA with a 
partial accounting in which he identified dozens of clients from 
whom he had taken funds totaling $450,923.04.  In May 2013 
Attorney Wynn provided the OLR with a second partial accounting 
showing that Attorney Wynn had taken $784,734.87 from numerous 
clients.  Attorney Wynn estimated this second partial accounting 
was "90% complete."  
¶6 
The matter came to our attention in June 2013 when 
Attorney 
Wynn 
filed 
his 
petition 
for 
consensual 
license 
revocation.  The OLR supported the petition and provided the 
court with a copy of the second partial accounting.  The OLR 
recommended we require Attorney Wynn to make restitution to the 
persons 
and 
entities 
identified 
on 
the 
second 
partial 
accounting.  However, the parties conceded that specific, 
No. 
2013AP1362-D   
 
4 
 
accurate restitution amounts and apportionments were not readily 
ascertainable.  The OLR asked the court to calculate set-offs to 
which Attorney Wynn may be entitled, and recommended Attorney 
Wynn should be required to verify the funds owed.  The OLR also 
informed the court that criminal charges from Milwaukee County 
were expected and recommended Attorney Wynn be required to 
comply with any future restitution order that might be entered 
by the Milwaukee County circuit court.2 
¶7 
This court issued an order directing Attorney Wynn to 
show cause why his license should not be temporarily suspended 
pending further inquiry to ensure the court had the most 
complete 
accounting 
possible 
for 
purposes 
of 
awarding 
restitution to injured clients.  Attorney Wynn was temporarily 
suspended on August 9, 2013, and the court subsequently ordered 
the parties to file additional information relating to a final 
accounting. 
¶8 
On November 21, 2013, the OLR filed the requested 
status update.  With the information provided by the OLR we are 
prepared to proceed with Attorney Wynn's petition. 
¶9 
We agree that revocation is warranted and necessary. 
This has never been in dispute.  Attorney Wynn admitted he used 
his law practice to misappropriate over three-quarters of a 
million dollars from numerous persons and entities.  Attorney 
Wynn acknowledged that he cannot successfully defend against 
misconduct allegations and further acknowledges that he will owe 
                                                 
2 The OLR later withdrew this recommendation. 
No. 
2013AP1362-D   
 
5 
 
restitution to the clients he has harmed.  He notes that he is 
represented by counsel regarding his criminal liability and has 
opted to proceed pro se in this disciplinary matter.  We grant 
the petition and we revoke Attorney Wynn's license to practice 
law in Wisconsin. 
¶10 With respect to restitution, the OLR informs the court 
that the second partial accounting filed with the court in June 
2013 remains the most complete accounting available.  We are 
further advised that the information in that list has now been 
verified by Attorney Wynn; reflects appropriate offsets due 
Attorney Wynn; and is agreeable to the parties to be final for 
purposes of this petition.  The MCDA has performed spot-checks 
and cross-referencing of the information in the document, and 
reported satisfactory results to the OLR.  The OLR adds that 
Attorney Wynn confirms his intent to make restitution as set 
forth herein, as well as his intent to make restitution to any 
other clients who may be owed money but do not yet appear on any 
listing. 
¶11 We accept the OLR's recommendation and we direct 
Attorney Wynn to make restitution to the persons and entities 
No. 
2013AP1362-D   
 
6 
 
and in the amounts as shown on Exhibit 1-B, filed by the OLR on 
November 21, 2013.3 
¶12 The OLR does not recommend we impose any further 
conditions upon Attorney Wynn at this time.  We accept the OLR's 
explanation that the issue of appropriate conditions is best 
addressed in the context of reinstatement.  Should Attorney Wynn 
ever seek reinstatement of his Wisconsin law license he will be 
required to prove that he has made restitution to or settled all 
claims of all persons injured or harmed by his misconduct, 
including reimbursement to the State Bar of Wisconsin Lawyers' 
Fund for Client Protection for all payments made by that fund, 
or, if restitution has not been made, Attorney Wynn will need to 
explain his failure or inability to do so.  See SCR 22.29 (4m). 
¶13 The filings do not mention costs.  In view of Attorney 
Wynn's apparent intention to cooperate fully with authorities 
                                                 
3 After the petition was filed, the OLR filed a detailed 
five-page list, entitled Exhibit 1, identifying clients and the 
amounts of restitution apparently owed to them.  In June 2013 we 
asked the OLR to clarify whether the names of these potential 
victims should be redacted to protect their privacy.  The OLR 
responded that it did not deem redaction necessary but provided 
the court with a redacted version of Exhibit 1, in which names 
were replaced with initials.  We directed the Clerk of Supreme 
Court to seal, until further order of this court, the original 
Exhibit 1 and we accepted redacted Exhibit 1 for filing.  
The parties have now verified appropriate offsets and, to 
assist the court, the OLR has filed a new document, entitled 
Exhibit 1-B, listing clients and the restitution they are owed, 
after offsets.  We will not redact the client names set forth on 
Exhibit 1-B. 
No. 
2013AP1362-D   
 
7 
 
and meet his restitution obligations we decline to impose costs 
in this matter. 
¶14 IT IS ORDERED that the license of Attorney Randy J. 
Wynn to practice law in Wisconsin is revoked effective the date 
of this order. 
¶15 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Randy J. Wynn shall 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. 
¶16 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Randy J. Wynn shall pay 
restitution to the persons and entities identified in Exhibit 1-
B, filed with the court on November 21, 2013. 
¶17 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that no costs are imposed in 
this matter. 
¶18 SHIRLEY S. ABRAHAMSON, C.J., did not participate. 
 
 
No. 
2013AP1362-D   
 
 
 
1