Title: Office of Lawyer Regulation v. Joseph F. Paulus

State: wisconsin

Issuer: Wisconsin Supreme Court

Document:

2004 WI 71 
 
 
 
SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN 
 
 
 
 
 
CASE NO.: 
04-1421-D 
COMPLETE TITLE: 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Joseph F. Paulus, Attorney at Law: 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation,  
          Complainant, 
 
     v. 
 
Joseph F. Paulus,  
          Respondent. 
 
 
 
DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AGAINST PAULUS 
 
 
OPINION FILED: 
June 8, 2004   
SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS: 
        
ORAL ARGUMENT: 
        
 
 
SOURCE OF APPEAL: 
 
 
COURT: 
        
 
COUNTY: 
        
 
JUDGE: 
        
 
 
 
JUSTICES: 
 
 
CONCURRED: 
        
 
DISSENTED: 
        
 
NOT PARTICIPATING:         
 
 
 
ATTORNEYS: 
 
      
 
 
2004 WI 71 
 
 
SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
NOTICE 
This order is subject to further 
editing and modification.  The 
final version will appear in the 
bound volume of the official 
reports.   
 
 
 
No.  04-1421-D  
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Joseph F. Paulus, Attorney at Law: 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation,  
          Complainant, 
 
     v. 
 
Joseph F. Paulus,  
          Respondent. 
 
FILED 
 
JUN 8, 2004 
 
Cornelia G. Clark 
Clerk of Supreme Court 
Madison, WI 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Court entered the following order on this date: 
 
Attorney Joseph F. Paulus has filed a petition for 
consensual license revocation under SCR 22.19.  Attorney Paulus 
is currently the subject of an Office of Lawyer Regulation (OLR) 
misconduct investigation.  Attorney Paulus submits that under 
SCR 22.19(2) he cannot successfully defend himself against the 
misconduct allegations, which include his guilty plea to a 
federal count of accepting bribes totaling approximately $48,050 
while holding the office of Winnebago County District Attorney, 
in exchange for benefits to defendants, including the dismissal 
or reduction of charges, return of seized property, and a 
request that another District Attorney give lenient treatment to 
a defendant and an additional federal count of filing a 1999 
Form 
1040 
income 
tax 
return 
on 
which 
Paulus 
knowingly 
underreported his income for that year.  Paulus’s conduct in 
accepting bribes in public office, making misrepresentations to 
the court, and filing a knowingly false income tax return would 
be in violation of SCR 20:1.7(b), conflict of interest; SCR 
20:3.3, making a false statement of fact or law to a tribunal; 
No. 04-1421-D   
 
2 
SCR 20:8.4(b), committing a criminal act that reflects adversely 
on the lawyer’s honesty, trustworthiness and fitness as a 
lawyer; and SCR 20:8.4(c), engaging in conduct involving 
dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation.  On April 26, 
2004, pursuant to a plea agreement, Paulus entered guilty pleas 
to both federal counts.  As a part of the plea agreement, he 
agreed to voluntarily surrender his license to practice law in 
all jurisdictions by the date of sentencing.  He is currently 
awaiting sentencing.   
 
The OLR supports Attorney Paulus’s petition for consensual 
license revocation.   
 
IT IS ORDERED that the petition for consensual license 
revocation is granted.  
 
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the license of Joseph F. Paulus 
to practice law in Wisconsin is revoked effective the date of 
this order. 
 
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Joseph F. Paulus shall comply 
with the requirements of SCR 22.26 relating to activities 
following revocation. 
 
 
 
Cornelia G. Clark 
Clerk of Supreme Court 
 
 
 
 
No. 04-1421-D   
 
2