Title: Office of Lawyer Regulation v. Arthur L. Schuh

State: wisconsin

Issuer: Wisconsin Supreme Court

Document:

2007 WI 43 
 
SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN 
 
 
 
 
 
CASE NO.: 
2006AP2235-D 
 
 
COMPLETE TITLE: 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Arthur L. Schuh, Jr., Attorney at Law: 
 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation, 
          Complainant, 
     v. 
Arthur L. Schuh, Jr., 
          Respondent. 
 
 
 
 
DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AGAINST SCHUH 
 
 
OPINION FILED: 
April 19, 2007   
SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS: 
        
ORAL ARGUMENT: 
        
 
 
SOURCE OF APPEAL: 
 
 
COURT: 
        
 
COUNTY: 
        
 
JUDGE: 
        
 
 
 
JUSTICES: 
 
 
CONCURRED: 
        
 
DISSENTED: 
        
 
NOT PARTICIPATING:         
 
 
 
ATTORNEYS: 
 
      
 
 
2007 WI 43
NOTICE 
This opinion is subject to further 
editing and modification.  The final 
version will appear in the bound 
volume of the official reports.   
No.  2006AP2235-D  
 
 
STATE OF WISCONSIN  
 
 
   : 
IN SUPREME COURT 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Arthur L. Schuh, Jr., Attorney at Law: 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation, 
 
          Complainant, 
 
     v. 
 
Arthur L. Schuh, Jr., 
 
          Respondent. 
 
FILED 
 
APR 19, 2007 
 
David R. Schanker 
Clerk of Supreme Court 
 
 
 
 
 
ATTORNEY 
disciplinary 
proceeding.   
Attorney's 
license 
revoked.   
 
¶1 
PER CURIAM.   We review a stipulation filed by the 
Office of Lawyer Regulation (OLR) and Attorney Arthur L. Schuh, 
Jr., pursuant to SCR 22.121 requesting this court to revoke 
                                                 
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. 
2006AP2235-D   
 
2 
 
Attorney Schuh's license to practice law in Wisconsin due to his 
professional misconduct, effective July 27, 2006, the date of 
the summary suspension of Attorney Schuh's license.  Attorney 
Schuh's misconduct 
consisted of committing criminal acts, 
conspiring to distribute a controlled substance and knowingly 
possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, 
that reflect adversely on his honesty, trustworthiness and 
fitness as a lawyer, in violation of SCR 20:8.4(b).2 
¶2 
Having independently reviewed the matter, we approve 
the SCR 22.12 stipulation and adopt its stipulated facts and 
conclusions of law.  We agree that the serious nature of 
Attorney Schuh's professional misconduct requires the revocation 
of his license to practice law in this state.  We also agree to 
the parties' request that the revocation be made effective on 
the date of the summary suspension of Attorney Schuh's license.   
                                                                                                                                                             
 
(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) provides 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. 
2006AP2235-D   
 
3 
 
¶3 
Attorney Schuh was admitted to the practice of law in 
Wisconsin in 1982.  He previously practiced in the Appleton 
area.  Prior to the summary suspension of his license due to his 
criminal convictions, he had not been subject to professional 
discipline.   
¶4 
On April 3, 2006, pursuant to a plea agreement, 
Attorney Schuh pled guilty to two criminal counts in the United 
States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.  In 
Count 1, Attorney Schuh pled guilty to conspiring to distribute 
a controlled substance, 500 grams or more of a mixture 
containing cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States 
Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B), and 846.  In Count 2, 
Attorney Schuh pled guilty to knowingly possessing a firearm in 
furtherance of the drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 
18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).  According to 
the plea agreement, which the parties stipulate to including in 
the record of this proceeding, from 2000 to 2003 Attorney Schuh 
routinely obtained one to three ounces of cocaine from a 
supplier, used some of it for personal consumption, and 
distributed the rest to friends and associates.   
¶5 
On July 13, 2006, the federal district court sentenced 
Attorney Schuh to a total of 123 months of imprisonment, to be 
followed by four years of supervised release.  The court also 
ordered Attorney Schuh to pay a $2000 fine and to forfeit his 
ownership interest in a motorcycle and a cabin in Pine River, 
Wisconsin. 
No. 
2006AP2235-D   
 
4 
 
¶6 
On July 27, 2006, this court summarily suspended 
Attorney Schuh's license to practice law in this state pursuant 
to SCR 22.20 and based on his federal criminal convictions. 
¶7 
In the SCR 22.12 stipulation, Attorney Schuh agrees 
that his criminal acts of conspiring to distribute cocaine and 
knowingly possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug 
trafficking 
crime 
reflect 
adversely 
on 
his 
honesty, 
trustworthiness and fitness as a lawyer, and constitute a 
violation of SCR 20:8.4(b).  On the basis of that violation, 
Attorney Schuh and the OLR jointly request that the court revoke 
his license to practice law in Wisconsin, effective as of July 
27, 2006. 
¶8 
The stipulation notes that Attorney Schuh's misconduct 
is aggravated by the willful nature of his violations of the law 
and the damage his criminal acts have done to the perception of 
lawyers and the legal system in this state.  On the mitigating 
side, the stipulation notes that Attorney Schuh does not have a 
prior disciplinary history and the OLR has no information that 
Attorney Schuh failed to represent his clients diligently.  
Moreover, 
Attorney 
Schuh 
has 
experienced 
significant 
consequences including a prison term of ten years and three 
months, which is close to the mandatory minimum total of ten 
years required for the two federal offenses. 
¶9 
The stipulation properly states that Attorney Schuh 
understands 
the 
misconduct 
allegations 
against 
him, 
the 
ramifications of the stipulated level of discipline, his right 
No. 
2006AP2235-D   
 
5 
 
to contest the matter, and his right to consult with counsel.3  
Further, Attorney Schuh verifies that he is entering the 
stipulation knowingly and voluntarily. 
¶10 Finally, the stipulation contains several requests and 
statements by Attorney Schuh.  He requests the court to take 
note of his assertions that he did not engage in selling drugs 
for profit and distributed drugs to a limited number of 
acquaintances in connection with his own use of drugs.  He also 
asserts that he responsibly transferred his client files to 
other attorneys prior to his conviction.  The stipulation states 
that 
Attorney 
Schuh 
accepts 
responsibility 
and 
expresses 
"heartfelt remorse" for his actions. 
¶11 After independently considering this matter, we accept 
the SCR 22.12 stipulation and its joint request for the 
revocation of Attorney Schuh's license to practice law in this 
state.  Whether or not Attorney Schuh sold the cocaine for 
profit or simply distributed it to his friends and associates, 
his actions constitute serious criminal offenses and violations 
of his obligations as an attorney, and require the revocation of 
his license to practice law in Wisconsin.  Nonetheless, as we 
have done in similar cases, we accept the stipulation's request 
that the revocation be deemed to have commenced on July 27, 
2006, when this court summarily suspended Attorney Schuh's 
license due to his criminal convictions.   
                                                 
3 The stipulation is also signed by Attorney Schuh's 
counsel. 
No. 
2006AP2235-D   
 
6 
 
¶12 Because 
Attorney 
Schuh 
has 
stipulated 
to 
the 
revocation of his license, eliminating the need for the 
appointment of a referee, and because the OLR has not requested 
the imposition of costs, we do not assess the costs of this 
disciplinary proceeding against Attorney Schuh. 
¶13 IT IS ORDERED that the license of Arthur L. Schuh, 
Jr., to practice law in Wisconsin is revoked, effective as of 
July 27, 2006. 
¶14 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that if he has not already done 
so, Attorney Schuh shall comply with the requirements of SCR 
22.26 pertaining to the duties of a person whose license to 
practice law in Wisconsin has been revoked. 
 
No. 
2006AP2235-D   
 
 
 
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