Case Title: Office of Lawyer Regulation v. Charles J. Chvala

Citation: 2007 WI 47

Docket Number: 

State: wisconsin

Court: Wisconsin Supreme Court

Date: 2007-05-02T00:00:00Z

Document:
2007 WI 47 
 
SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN 
 
 
 
 
 
CASE NO.: 
2006AP1423-D 
COMPLETE TITLE: 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Charles J. Chvala, Attorney at Law: 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation, 
          Complainant, 
     v. 
Charles J. Chvala, 
          Respondent. 
 
 
 
 
DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AGAINST CHVALA 
 
 
OPINION FILED: 
May 2, 2007   
SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS: 
        
ORAL ARGUMENT: 
        
 
 
SOURCE OF APPEAL: 
 
 
COURT: 
        
 
COUNTY: 
        
 
JUDGE: 
        
 
 
 
JUSTICES: 
 
 
CONCURRED: 
        
 
DISSENTED: 
        
 
NOT PARTICIPATING: PROSSER and BUTLER, JR., J.J., did not 
participate.   
 
 
 
ATTORNEYS: 
 
      
 
 
2007 WI 47
NOTICE 
This opinion is subject to further 
editing and modification.  The final 
version will appear in the bound 
volume of the official reports.   
No.  2006AP1423-D  
 
 
STATE OF WISCONSIN  
 
 
   : 
IN SUPREME COURT 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Charles J. Chvala, Attorney at Law: 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation, 
 
          Complainant, 
 
     v. 
 
Charles J. Chvala, 
 
          Respondent. 
 
FILED 
 
MAY 2, 2007 
 
David R. Schanker 
Clerk of Supreme Court 
 
 
 
 
 
ATTORNEY 
disciplinary 
proceeding.   
Attorney's 
license 
suspended.   
 
¶1 
PER CURIAM.   We review a stipulation filed by the 
Office of Lawyer Regulation (OLR) and Attorney Charles J. Chvala 
pursuant to SCR 22.121 requesting this court to suspend 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. 
2006AP1423-D   
 
2 
 
Chvala's license to practice law in Wisconsin due to his 
professional misconduct for a period of two years, retroactive 
to April 10, 2006.  Attorney Chvala's misconduct consisted of 
committing criminal acts that reflect adversely on his honesty, 
trustworthiness and fitness as a lawyer, in violation of SCR 
20:8.4(b).2   
¶2 
After our independent review of the matter, we approve 
the SCR 22.12 stipulation and adopt its stipulated facts and 
conclusions of law.  We determine that the serious nature of 
Attorney Chvala's professional misconduct warrants a two-year 
suspension of his license to practice law in this state, 
retroactive to April 10, 2006, the date of the summary 
suspension of his license.  In view of the stipulated nature of 
this proceeding and pursuant to the OLR's request, we do not 
assess the costs of the disciplinary proceedings against 
Attorney Chvala. 
                                                                                                                                                             
 
(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. 
2 SCR 20:8.4(b) states that it is professional misconduct 
for a lawyer to "commit a criminal act that reflects adversely 
on the lawyer's honesty, trustworthiness or fitness as a lawyer 
in other respects." 
No. 
2006AP1423-D   
 
3 
 
¶3 
Attorney Chvala was admitted to practice law in 
Wisconsin in 1979.  Prior to the present matter, he had not been 
the subject of any disciplinary proceedings.  He previously 
served as a state senator and was elected by his colleagues as 
minority leader, and later majority leader in the state senate.   
¶4 
On October 17, 2002, the State filed a criminal 
complaint against Attorney Chvala in Dane County Circuit Court.  
The complaint charged Attorney Chvala with 20 counts of criminal 
conduct, including three counts of extortion, seven counts of 
misconduct in public office, one count of unlawful political 
contributions, three counts of being party to the crime of 
campaign contributions exceeding lawful limits, five counts of 
being party to the crime of filing a false report with the State 
of Wisconsin Elections Board, and one count of conspiracy to 
make campaign contributions exceeding lawful limits. The State 
ultimately filed an information containing 19 counts.  
¶5 
On October 23, 2005, Attorney Chvala and the State 
entered into a plea agreement, pursuant to which the parties 
agreed to resolve all of the pending charges.  Under the plea 
agreement, Attorney Chvala agreed that he would plead guilty to 
one count of misconduct in public office (a Class E felony) and 
one count of making a campaign contribution exceeding the lawful 
limit, as party to the crime (an unclassified felony).  The 
agreement further provided that eight counts would be dismissed 
outright and with prejudice and that six counts would be 
dismissed but "read in" for sentencing purposes.  The agreement 
also provided that the remaining three counts would be dismissed 
No. 
2006AP1423-D   
 
4 
 
with the understanding that Attorney Chvala continued to dispute 
them and that both sides would be free to comment on those 
counts at Attorney Chvala's sentencing hearing. 
¶6 
Pursuant to the plea agreement, Attorney Chvala pled 
guilty to the two agreed-upon charges on October 25, 2005.  On 
December 15, 2005, the circuit court withheld sentence and 
placed Attorney Chvala on two years of probation.  One of the 
conditions of his probation was that Attorney Chvala would serve 
nine months in jail with work-release privileges.  In addition, 
the circuit court ordered that Attorney Chvala refrain from 
engaging 
in 
any 
lobbying 
activity 
during 
the 
period 
of 
probation. 
¶7 
On November 4, 2005, the OLR filed a petition for the 
summary suspension of Attorney Chvala's license to practice law.  
Attorney Chvala objected to the summary suspension.  After 
receiving briefs from both the OLR and Attorney Chvala, the 
court summarily suspended Attorney Chvala's license pursuant to 
SCR 22.20 on April 10, 2006. 
¶8 
On 
June 
9, 
2006, 
the 
OLR 
filed 
a 
two-count 
disciplinary complaint against Attorney Chvala.  Based on 
Attorney Chvala's guilty pleas to the criminal charges, the 
complaint alleged that from July through November 1998, Attorney 
Chvala 
exercised 
his 
discretionary 
power 
in 
a 
manner 
inconsistent with the duties of his public office with the 
intent to obtain a dishonest advantage for another by directing 
employees of the Senate Democratic Caucus to participate in and 
manage state senate campaigns while on state time, contrary to 
No. 
2006AP1423-D   
 
5 
 
Wis. Stat. § 946.12(3) (1997-98).3  The OLR's complaint alleged 
that this conduct constituted a criminal act that reflects 
adversely on Attorney Chvala's honesty, trustworthiness or 
fitness as a lawyer, contrary to SCR 20:8.4(b). 
¶9 
The second count of the OLR's complaint alleged that 
by 
intentionally 
using 
his 
political 
action 
committee, 
Independent Citizens for Democracy, to make unlawful campaign 
contributions, 
in 
violation of Wis. Stat. §§ 11.26(2)(b), 
11.61(1)(b), and 939.05, Attorney Chvala committed a criminal 
act that also violated SCR 20:8.4(b).  The OLR's complaint 
sought a two-year license suspension, retroactive to the summary 
suspension on April 10, 2006.  
¶10 After the filing of the disciplinary complaint, the 
OLR and Attorney Chvala filed the present SCR 22.12 stipulation.  
The stipulation repeats the description of the two counts of 
misconduct alleged in the OLR's complaint.  The stipulation 
states that it represents Attorney Chvala's admission to all of 
the misconduct described in the two counts.  It further provides 
that Attorney Chvala agrees to the imposition of the discipline 
sought by the OLR, namely, a two-year license suspension, 
retroactive to the date of the summary suspension of Attorney 
Chvala's license.   
¶11 The stipulation properly states that Attorney Chvala 
fully understands the allegations of professional misconduct, 
                                                 
3 All further references to the Wisconsin Statutes are to 
the 1997-98 version unless otherwise noted. 
No. 
2006AP1423-D   
 
6 
 
the ramifications of the stipulated level of discipline, his 
right to contest the matter, and his right to consult with 
counsel, which he has previously exercised although he is 
currently proceeding pro se.  The stipulation also provides that 
Attorney Chvala is entering it knowingly and voluntarily, with 
knowledge that if his license to practice law in this state is 
suspended for the requested two years, it will not be reinstated 
until he successfully petitions for reinstatement pursuant to 
the procedures in SCR 22.29—.33. 
¶12 The 
OLR 
filed 
a 
memorandum 
in 
support 
of 
the 
stipulation.  The memorandum stated that in determining the 
appropriate level of discipline to seek, the director of the OLR 
had considered prior Wisconsin precedent, the ABA Standards for 
Imposing Lawyer Sanctions, and the specific circumstances of 
Attorney Chvala's case.  Aggravating factors included that 
Attorney Chvala had breached the public trust and had acted with 
an intent to gain an unfair advantage in political campaigns, 
all of which had undermined the public's confidence in its 
elected officials.  On the mitigating side, the OLR noted that 
Attorney Chvala had not previously been subject to disciplinary 
action during more than 25 years of practice, that he had 
exhibited remorse during his criminal case, and that he had 
cooperated with the OLR's investigation and prosecution.  The 
OLR also pointed out the other consequences that Attorney Chvala 
will face for his actions, including a felony conviction and 
serving nine months in a county jail. 
No. 
2006AP1423-D   
 
7 
 
¶13 After our independent review of the matter, we 
determine that the SCR 22.12 stipulation should be accepted.  
Through his plea agreement and convictions in the criminal case 
and the stipulation in this disciplinary proceeding, Attorney 
Chvala has admitted multiple criminal acts that involved 
breaches of the public trust committed to elected officials in 
this state.  His criminal acts and the resulting convictions 
represent serious violations of the Supreme Court Rules of 
Professional Conduct that every lawyer in this state is duty-
bound to uphold.  We conclude that a two-year suspension of 
Attorney Chvala's license to practice law in this state is 
necessary to impress on him and on the other lawyers who are 
licensed in Wisconsin the seriousness of the misconduct in which 
Attorney Chvala engaged.  Consistent with our past practice in 
other 
cases 
involving 
criminal 
convictions, 
we 
make 
the 
suspension retroactive to the date on which Attorney Chvala's 
license was summarily suspended. 
¶14 In light of the fact that Attorney Chvala entered into 
a comprehensive stipulation, thereby obviating the need for the 
appointment of a referee, and his cooperation with the OLR's 
investigation and prosecution, we agree with the OLR's request 
that the costs of this disciplinary proceeding not be assessed 
against Attorney Chvala. 
¶15 IT IS ORDERED that the license of Charles J. Chvala to 
practice 
law 
in 
Wisconsin 
is 
suspended 
for 
two 
years, 
retroactive to April 10, 2006. 
No. 
2006AP1423-D   
 
8 
 
¶16 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that to the extent he has not 
already 
done 
so, 
Attorney 
Chvala 
shall 
comply 
with 
the 
provisions of SCR 22.26 concerning the duties of a person whose 
license to practice law in Wisconsin has been suspended. 
¶17 DAVID T. PROSSER, J. and LOUIS B. BUTLER, JR. J., did 
not participate. 
 
No. 
2006AP1423-D   
 
 
 
1