Title: Office of Lawyer Regulation v. Michael M. Switalski

State: wisconsin

Issuer: Wisconsin Supreme Court

Document:

2015 WI 99 
 
SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN 
 
 
 
 
 
CASE NO.: 
2015AP1732-D 
COMPLETE TITLE: 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Michael M. Switalski, Attorney at Law: 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation, 
          Complainant, 
     v. 
Michael M. Switalski, 
          Respondent. 
 
 
 
 
DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AGAINST SWITALSKI 
 
 
OPINION FILED: 
November 11, 2015 
SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS: 
        
ORAL ARGUMENT: 
      
 
 
SOURCE OF APPEAL: 
 
 
COURT: 
      
 
COUNTY: 
      
 
JUDGE: 
      
 
 
 
JUSTICES: 
 
 
CONCURRED: 
 
 
DISSENTED: 
      
 
NOT PARTICIPATING: BRADLEY, A.W., J. and BRADLEY, R.G., J. did not 
participate.    
 
 
 
ATTORNEYS: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2015 WI 99
NOTICE 
This opinion is subject to further 
editing and modification.  The final 
version will appear in the bound 
volume of the official reports.   
No.   2015AP1732-D 
 
 
STATE OF WISCONSIN  
 
 
   : 
IN SUPREME COURT 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Michael M. Switalski 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation, 
 
          Complainant, 
 
     v. 
 
Michael M. Switalski, 
 
          Respondent. 
 
FILED 
 
NOV 11, 2015 
 
Diane M. Fremgen 
Clerk of Supreme Court 
 
 
 
 
ATTORNEY 
disciplinary 
proceeding.  Attorney's 
license 
revoked.   
 
¶1 
PER CURIAM.   Attorney Michael M. Switalski has filed 
a petition for consensual license revocation under Supreme Court 
Rule (SCR) 22.19. 
¶2 
Attorney Switalski was admitted to practice law in 
Wisconsin in 1988.  His member status with the State Bar of 
Wisconsin is inactive and he is not currently engaged in the 
practice of law in Wisconsin.  Attorney Switalski was previously 
No. 
2015AP1732-D   
 
2 
 
a school teacher and coach at Newman Catholic High School in 
Wausau.   
¶3 
In March 2015, Attorney Switalski entered guilty pleas 
to ten felony counts of child pornography.  An additional 22 
counts were dismissed but read in for sentencing purposes.  In 
June 2015, Attorney Switalski was sentenced to ten three-year 
prison terms, to be served concurrently, each followed by five 
years of extended supervision.  Attorney Switalski is currently 
in prison. 
¶4 
Attorney Switalski's petition for consensual license 
revocation states that he is currently the subject of an Office 
of Lawyer Regulation (OLR) inquiry involving his possession of 
child pornography.  Attorney Switalski states that he cannot 
successfully defend himself against the professional misconduct 
alleged by the OLR.  He states that he is filing his petition 
freely, voluntarily, and knowingly, and understands that he is 
giving up his right to contest the misconduct alleged by the 
OLR.  He also states that he is represented by counsel in this 
proceeding.  
¶5 
The OLR has filed a recommendation on Attorney 
Switalski's petition, saying that revocation of his license to 
practice law in Wisconsin is warranted.  The OLR notes that 
there is precedent for the proposition that an attorney's 
serious criminal conduct merits revocation of his license to 
practice law in Wisconsin, even when the misconduct is not 
directly related to the attorney's practice of law.  See, e.g., 
In re Disciplinary Proceedings Against Engl, 2013 WI 36, 
No. 
2015AP1732-D   
 
3 
 
347 Wis. 2d 104, 829 N.W.2d 512.  The OLR says that consensual 
revocation is appropriate in this case and is consistent with 
past precedent. 
¶6 
We agree that revocation of Attorney Switalski's 
license to practice law in Wisconsin is warranted.  Attorney 
Switalski pled guilty to multiple counts of possession of child 
pornography.  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." 
 
Attorney 
Switalski 
has 
acknowledged that he cannot successfully defend himself against 
the misconduct allegations.  Accordingly, we grant the petition 
and revoke his license to practice law in Wisconsin. 
¶7 
IT IS ORDERED that the license of Michael M. Switalski 
to practice law in Wisconsin is revoked, effective the date of 
this order. 
¶8 
IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that, to the extent he has not 
already done so, Michael M. Switalski shall comply with the 
provisions of SCR 22.26 concerning the duties of an attorney 
whose license to practice law has been revoked. 
¶9 
ANN WALSH BRADLEY, J., and REBECCA G. BRADLEY, J., did 
not participate. 
 
No. 
2015AP1732-D   
 
 
 
1