Title: Plaintiff v. Defendant

State: wisconsin

Issuer: Wisconsin Supreme Court

Document:

2012 WI 122 
 
SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN 
 
 
 
 
 
CASE NO.: 
2012AP1777-D   
COMPLETE TITLE: 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Naomi E. Soldon, Attorney at Law: 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation, 
          Complainant, 
     v. 
Naomi E. Soldon, 
          Respondent.   
 
 
 
 
DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AGAINST SOLDON     
 
 
OPINION FILED: 
December 7, 2012   
SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS: 
        
ORAL ARGUMENT: 
        
 
 
SOURCE OF APPEAL: 
 
 
COURT: 
        
 
COUNTY: 
        
 
JUDGE: 
        
 
 
 
JUSTICES: 
 
 
CONCURRED: 
        
 
DISSENTED: 
        
 
NOT PARTICIPATING:         
 
 
 
ATTORNEYS: 
 
 
 
 
 
2012 WI 122
NOTICE 
This opinion is subject to further 
editing and modification.  The final 
version will appear in the bound 
volume of the official reports.   
No.   2012AP1777-D 
 
 
STATE OF WISCONSIN  
 
 
   : 
IN SUPREME COURT 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Naomi E. Soldon, Attorney at Law: 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation, 
 
          Complainant, 
 
     v. 
 
Naomi E. Soldon, 
 
          Respondent. 
 
FILED 
 
DEC 7, 2012 
 
Diane M. Fremgen 
Clerk of Supreme Court 
 
 
 
 
ATTORNEY 
disciplinary 
proceeding.   Attorney's 
license 
suspended.   
 
¶1 
PER CURIAM.   We review the stipulation filed by the 
Office of Lawyer Regulation (OLR) and Attorney Naomi E. Soldon.  
The OLR and Attorney Soldon stipulate that Attorney Soldon 
committed professional misconduct and that she should be 
suspended for her misconduct.  The OLR is not seeking costs or 
restitution. 
 
Upon 
careful 
consideration, 
we 
adopt 
the 
stipulated facts and retroactively suspend Attorney Soldon's 
No. 
2012AP1777-D   
 
2 
 
license to practice law for a period of six months, commencing 
October 16, 2010. 
¶2 
Attorney Soldon was admitted to the State Bar of 
Wisconsin on September 14, 1981.  On April 16, 2010, we 
suspended Attorney Soldon's law license for six months for 
professional misconduct involving committing criminal acts of 
theft and fleeing and eluding an officer; failing to report 
convictions to the OLR within five days; and failing to 
cooperate with the OLR's investigation.  Attorney Soldon 
stipulated to these violations and to the discipline.  In re 
Disciplinary Proceedings Against Soldon, 2010 WI 27, 324 
Wis. 2d 4, 782 N.W.2d 81.1   
¶3 
On August 9, 2012, the OLR filed a complaint alleging 
that Attorney Soldon engaged in three counts of misconduct as a 
result of three separate incidents of criminal misconduct. 
¶4 
First, on September 21, 2007, Attorney Soldon left an 
Illinois department store with $958.40 in unpaid merchandise.  A 
warrant issued and she was eventually arrested in October 2009 
in Illinois.  She was then convicted of felony retail theft on 
October 20, 2011.  State of Illinois v. Soldon, Kane County Case 
No. 07-CF-2926.   
¶5 
Second, on February 7, 2009, Attorney Soldon stole 
several video games from a department store in Grafton, 
                                                 
1 In 2012 Attorney Soldon filed a petition seeking to 
reinstate her law license.  However, that petition has been held 
in abeyance pending resolution of the matters charged in the 
pending disciplinary complaint. 
No. 
2012AP1777-D   
 
3 
 
Wisconsin.  Attorney Soldon was arrested and charged with 
misdemeanor retail theft as a repeater.  See State v. Soldon, 
Ozaukee County Case No. 09CM255.  On October 6, 2010, she pled 
guilty and was convicted of that charge. 
¶6 
Third, on October 23, 2009, Attorney Soldon stole a 
candy bar from a store in Madison, Wisconsin.  On October 26, 
2009, City of Madison police issued a municipal citation to 
Attorney Soldon for her theft.  On January 22, 2010, Attorney 
Soldon was found guilty and fined $177. 
¶7 
The OLR's complaint alleged Attorney Soldon's three 
incidents 
of 
criminal 
misconduct 
violated 
the 
Rules 
of 
Professional Conduct for Attorneys, SCR Ch. 20, as follows:  (1) 
by engaging in conduct leading to a criminal conviction on one 
count of felony retail theft in State of Illinois v. Soldon, 
Kane County Case No. 07-CF-2926, Attorney Soldon violated SCR 
20:8.4(b);2 (2) by engaging in conduct leading to a criminal 
conviction on one count of misdemeanor retail theft as a 
repeater in State v. Soldon, Ozaukee County Case No. 09CM255, 
Attorney Soldon violated SCR 20:8.4(b); and (3) by engaging in 
conduct leading to her conviction for retail theft, Attorney 
Soldon violated SCR 20:8.4(c).3 
                                                 
2 SCR 20:8.4(b) states 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; . . . ." 
3 SCR 20:8.4(c) states it is professional misconduct for a 
lawyer to "engage in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit 
or misrepresentation; . . . ." 
No. 
2012AP1777-D   
 
4 
 
¶8 
On September 26, 2012, the OLR and Attorney Soldon 
filed a stipulation whereby Attorney Soldon stipulated to the 
allegations in the OLR's complaint and to their recommended 
discipline.  The stipulation states that Attorney Soldon fully 
understands the misconduct allegations and the ramifications 
should the court impose the stipulated level of discipline.  The 
stipulation also provides that Attorney Soldon understands her 
right to contest the matter and understands her right to consult 
with counsel, that she was represented by counsel, and that her 
entry into the stipulation was made knowingly and voluntarily 
and without the benefit of any negotiations for a reduction in 
either charges or sanctions.   
¶9 
The 
OLR 
filed 
a 
memorandum 
in 
support 
of 
the 
stipulation 
explaining 
that 
in 
recommending 
a 
six-month 
suspension, the OLR director considered the ABA Standards for 
Imposing Lawyer Sanctions and the particular circumstances of 
this case.  The OLR's memorandum identified as aggravating 
factors Attorney Soldon's prior discipline, her pattern of 
misconduct, 
theft 
indicating 
selfish 
motivation, 
multiple 
offenses, and substantial experience as an attorney.  ABA 
Standards § 9.2(a)-(d), (i).  In mitigation, the OLR considered 
Attorney Soldon's gambling and drug problems, the fact that she 
self-reported 
the 
criminal 
charges 
and 
was 
cooperative 
throughout the process, and the fact she has sought and received 
appropriate treatment and exhibited remorse.  
¶10 There 
is 
precedent 
supporting 
the 
recommended 
discipline.  The OLR cites In re Disciplinary Proceedings 
No. 
2012AP1777-D   
 
5 
 
Against Cahill, 219 Wis. 2d 330, 579 N.W.2d 231 (1998), where 
the court imposed a six-month suspension for multiple theft-
related crimes (defrauding an innkeeper, issuing worthless 
checks).   
¶11 The OLR and Attorney Soldon agree that the sanction 
should be imposed retroactively.  The court will impose a 
sanction retroactively when "misconduct occurred prior to the 
[earlier] disciplinary proceeding and [the attorney's] license 
has remained suspended well beyond the period of suspension 
previously imposed."  In re Disciplinary Proceedings Against and 
Reinstatement of Mandelman, 182 Wis. 2d 583, 592, 514 N.W.2d 11 
(1994); see also In re Disciplinary Proceedings Against Gilbert, 
2004 WI 144, 276 Wis. 2d 395, 689 N.W.2d 50; In re Disciplinary 
Proceedings Against Edgar, 2003 WI 49, ¶13, 261 Wis. 2d 413, 661 
N.W.2d 817 (when "the violations . . . occurred at the same time 
as the violations that gave rise to the previous disciplinary 
matter" a retroactive sanction may be appropriate). 
¶12 Attorney Soldon's earlier misconduct was of a similar 
nature and also occurred in 2007 and 2008.  Soldon, 324 
Wis. 2d 4, ¶3.  Her original six-month suspension was scheduled 
to end on October 16, 2010.  Attorney Soldon's acts giving rise 
to this proceeding occurred in 2007 and 2009, with convictions 
in 2010 and 2011.  Attorney Soldon delayed seeking reinstatement 
in part because she sought treatment for her alcohol and 
gambling problems and has completed a drug court program.  
Consequently, she has remained suspended for longer than the 
court's 2010 decision required.  
No. 
2012AP1777-D   
 
6 
 
¶13 After careful review of the matter, we adopt the 
stipulated facts and find it appropriate to suspend Attorney 
Soldon's license for a period of six months, consecutive to her 
April 16, 2010 suspension.  Because Attorney Soldon entered into 
a comprehensive stipulation under SCR 22.12, thereby obviating 
the need for the appointment of a referee and a full 
disciplinary proceeding, we do not impose costs in this matter. 
¶14 IT IS ORDERED that the license of Naomi E. Soldon to 
practice law in Wisconsin shall be suspended for six months, 
effective October 16, 2010. 
¶15 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that to the extent she has not 
already done so, Naomi E. Soldon 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.