Title: Office of Lawyer Regulation v. Kristin J. Gernetzke

State: wisconsin

Issuer: Wisconsin Supreme Court

Document:

2008 WI 100 
 
SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN 
 
 
 
 
 
CASE NO.: 
2006AP2629-D 
COMPLETE TITLE: 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Kristin J. Gernetzke , Attorney at Law: 
 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation, 
          Complainant, 
     v. 
Kristin J. Gernetzke, 
          Respondent. 
 
 
 
 
DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AGAINST GERNETZKE 
 
 
OPINION FILED: 
July 17, 2008   
SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS: 
        
ORAL ARGUMENT: 
        
 
 
SOURCE OF APPEAL: 
 
 
COURT: 
        
 
COUNTY: 
        
 
JUDGE: 
        
 
 
 
JUSTICES: 
 
 
CONCURRED: 
        
 
DISSENTED: 
        
 
NOT PARTICIPATING:         
 
 
 
ATTORNEYS: 
 
      
 
 
 
 
2008 WI 100
NOTICE 
This opinion is subject to further 
editing and modification.  The final 
version will appear in the bound 
volume of the official reports.   
No.  2006AP2629-D  
 
 
STATE OF WISCONSIN  
 
 
   : 
IN SUPREME COURT 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Kristin J. Gernetzke, Attorney at Law: 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation, 
 
          Complainant, 
 
     v. 
 
Kristin J. Gernetzke, 
 
          Respondent. 
 
FILED 
 
JUL 17, 2008 
 
David R. Schanker 
Clerk of Supreme Court 
 
 
 
 
 
ATTORNEY reinstatement proceeding.   Reinstatement granted 
upon conditions.   
 
¶1 
PER 
CURIAM.   We 
review 
a 
referee's 
report 
recommending that Kristin J. Gernetzke's license to practice law 
in Wisconsin be reinstated.   
¶2 
We 
adopt 
the 
referee's 
findings 
of 
fact 
and 
conclusions of law and conclude that Attorney Gernetzke's 
license to practice law should be reinstated upon the conditions 
recommended by the referee.  We further direct Attorney 
No. 
2006AP2629-D   
 
2 
 
Gernetzke to pay the costs of the reinstatement proceeding, 
which total $2,895.92, as of February 27, 2008. 
¶3 
Attorney Gernetzke was admitted to practice law in 
Wisconsin in 2002.  Her license was suspended for a period of 
six months, effective March 2, 2007, as a result of improper and 
undocumented billings that she submitted to the Office of the 
State Public Defender (SPD).  See In re Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Gernetzke, 2007 WI 6, 298 Wis. 2d 607, 725 N.W.2d 942. 
¶4 
On August 30, 2007, Attorney Gernetzke filed a 
petition for reinstatement.  Thomas H. Taylor was appointed 
referee.  On February 8, 2008, the referee filed a report 
recommending that Attorney Gernetzke's reinstatement petition be 
granted.  In his report, the referee noted that Attorney 
Gernetzke 
complied 
with 
this 
court's 
decision 
and 
order 
suspending her license.  He further noted that since the time of 
her suspension, Attorney Gernetzke has provided significant care 
and assistance to her elderly mother, as well as being employed 
as a real estate project coordinator at Ashley Furniture.  The 
referee noted that if her license is reinstated, Attorney 
Gernetzke hopes to evolve into an in-house legal counsel 
position at Ashley Furniture. 
¶5 
The referee noted that Attorney Gernetzke accepts full 
responsibility for her professional misconduct and that she has 
paid full restitution, exceeding $21,000, to the SPD's office.  
The referee said Attorney Gernetzke's behavior has been above 
reproach during her suspension. 
No. 
2006AP2629-D   
 
3 
 
¶6 
The referee recommended that Attorney Gernetzke's 
license to practice law in Wisconsin be reinstated subject to 
the following conditions: 
1. 
For a period of three years from the 
effective date of reinstatement, Attorney Gernetzke 
shall engage in the practice of law in Wisconsin under 
the 
direct 
supervision 
of 
a 
licensed 
attorney 
acceptable to and approved by the Office of Lawyer 
Regulation (OLR).   
2. 
Within ten days of the effective date of 
reinstatement, Attorney Gernetzke shall provide her 
supervising attorney with copies of this court's 
January 19, 2007, decision and its decision in this 
case.   
3. 
Attorney Gernetzke's supervising attorney 
shall have all the duties generally held by a 
supervising attorney under SCR 20:5.1(b).   
4. 
Attorney Gernetzke's supervising attorney 
shall file quarterly reports with the OLR. 
5. 
If Attorney Gernetzke changes her place of 
residence or employment at any time during the three-
year period, she shall promptly notify the OLR. 
6. 
Attorney Gernetzke shall be responsible for 
the timely filing of all reports and notices and those 
reports and notices shall be mailed to the OLR.   
7. 
If Attorney Gernetzke fails to comply with 
any of the foregoing terms and conditions, her license 
shall be suspended.    
¶7 
The referee also recommended that the costs of this 
proceeding be assessed against Attorney Gernetzke, and that she 
be required to pay the full costs within 180 days. 
¶8 
On January 17, 2008, the Board of Bar Examiners (BBE) 
recommended Attorney Gernetzke's reinstatement to the practice 
No. 
2006AP2629-D   
 
4 
 
of law in Wisconsin subject to her compliance with current CLE 
requirements. 
¶9 
The standards to be met for reinstatement of a law 
license are provided in SCR 22.31(1).1  The petitioner has the 
burden of demonstrating "by clear, satisfactory, and convincing 
evidence" that the lawyer has the moral character to practice 
law, that the lawyer's resumption of the practice of law will 
not 
be 
detrimental 
to 
the 
administration 
of 
justice 
or 
subversive of the public interest, and that the lawyer has 
complied with SCR 22.26 and the terms of the suspension.  In 
addition, SCR 22.29(4) sets forth related requirements that a 
petition for reinstatement must show.  All of these additional 
requirements are effectively incorporated into SCR 22.31(1).   
                                                 
1 SCR 22.31(1) provides as follows:   
The petitioner has the burden of demonstrating, 
by clear, satisfactory, and convincing evidence, all 
of the following: 
(a) That he or she has the moral character to 
practice law in Wisconsin. 
(b) That his or her resumption of the practice of 
law will not be detrimental to the administration of 
justice or subversive of the public interest. 
(c) That his or her representations in the 
petition, including the representations required by 
SCR 
22.29(4)(a) 
to 
(m) 
and 
22.29(5), 
are 
substantiated. 
(d) That he or she has complied fully with the 
terms of the order of suspension or revocation and 
with the requirements of SCR 22.26. 
No. 
2006AP2629-D   
 
5 
 
¶10 After review of the record, we agree with the referee 
that Attorney Gernetzke has established by clear, satisfactory, 
and convincing evidence that she has satisfied all the criteria 
necessary 
for 
reinstatement. 
 
Accordingly, 
we 
adopt 
the 
referee's findings of fact and conclusions of law, and we accept 
the referee's recommendation to reinstate Attorney Gernetzke's 
license to practice law in Wisconsin.  We also find it 
appropriate to impose the conditions recommended by the referee.  
Since it is not clear when Attorney Gernetzke will actually be 
resuming the practice of law, we have revised the first 
condition proposed by the referee.  We further direct Attorney 
Gernetzke to pay the costs of the reinstatement proceedings. 
¶11 IT IS ORDERED that the petition for reinstatement of 
the license of Kristin J. Gernetzke to practice law in Wisconsin 
is granted, effective the date of this order. 
¶12 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the reinstatement of 
Attorney Gernetzke's license to practice law be subject to the 
following conditions: 
1. 
For a period of three years from the date she resumes 
the practice of law, Attorney Gernetzke shall engage in the 
practice of law in Wisconsin under the direct supervision of a 
licensed attorney acceptable to and approved by the Office of 
Lawyer Regulation.   
2. 
Within ten days of the date Attorney Gernetzke resumes 
the practice of law, Attorney Gernetzke shall provide her 
supervising attorney with copies of this court's January 19, 
2007, decision and its decision in this case.   
No. 
2006AP2629-D   
 
6 
 
3. 
Attorney Gernetzke's supervising attorney shall have 
all the duties generally held by a supervising attorney under 
SCR 20:5.1(b).   
4. 
Attorney Gernetzke's supervising attorney shall file 
quarterly reports with the Office of Lawyer Regulation. 
5. 
If Attorney Gernetzke changes her place of residence 
or employment at any time during the three-year period, she 
shall promptly notify the Office of Lawyer Regulation. 
6. 
Attorney Gernetzke shall be responsible for the timely 
filing of all reports and notices and those reports and notices 
shall be mailed to the Office of Lawyer Regulation.   
7. 
If Attorney Gernetzke fails to comply with any of the 
foregoing terms and conditions, her license shall be suspended.   
¶13 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that within 180 days of the date 
of this order, Kristin J. Gernetzke shall pay to the Office of 
Lawyer Regulation the costs of this proceeding.  If the costs 
are not paid within the time specified, and absent a showing to 
this court of her inability to pay the costs within that time, 
the license of Kristin J. Gernetzke to practice law in Wisconsin 
shall be suspended until further order of the court. 
 
No. 
2006AP2629-D   
 
 
 
1