Title: Office of Lawyer Regulation v. Randi H. Hubatch

State: wisconsin

Issuer: Wisconsin Supreme Court

Document:

2013 WI 94 
 
SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN 
 
 
 
 
 
CASE NO.: 
2013AP1483-D  
COMPLETE TITLE: 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against  
Randi H. Hubatch, Attorney at Law: 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation, 
          Complainant, 
     v. 
Randi H. Hubatch, 
          Respondent.   
 
 
 
 
 
DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AGAINST HUBATCH  
 
 
OPINION FILED: 
November 26, 2013 
SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS: 
        
ORAL ARGUMENT: 
        
 
 
SOURCE OF APPEAL: 
 
 
COURT: 
        
 
COUNTY: 
      
 
JUDGE: 
      
 
 
 
JUSTICES: 
 
 
CONCURRED: 
        
 
DISSENTED: 
        
 
NOT PARTICIPATING:         
 
 
 
ATTORNEYS: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2013 WI 94
NOTICE 
This opinion is subject to further 
editing and modification.  The final 
version will appear in the bound 
volume of the official reports.   
No.   2013AP1483-D 
 
 
STATE OF WISCONSIN  
 
 
   : 
IN SUPREME COURT 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Randi H. Hubatch, Attorney at Law: 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation, 
 
          Complainant, 
 
     v. 
 
Randi H. Hubatch, 
 
          Respondent. 
 
FILED 
 
NOV 26, 2013 
 
Diane M. Fremgen 
Clerk of Supreme Court 
 
 
 
 
ATTORNEY 
disciplinary 
proceeding.   Attorney's 
license 
suspended.   
 
¶1 
PER CURIAM.   We review a stipulation filed pursuant 
to SCR 22.121 by the Office of Lawyer Regulation (OLR) and 
                                                 
1 SCR 22.12 states as follows:  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. 
2013AP1483-D   
 
2 
 
Attorney Randi H. Hubatch.  In the stipulation, Attorney Hubatch 
agrees that by engaging in conduct leading to a criminal 
conviction for felony armed robbery, he violated SCR 20:8.4(b).  
He also agrees that a three-year suspension of his license to 
practice law in Wisconsin is an appropriate level of discipline 
for his misconduct.  There is no request in this matter for a 
restitution award, nor is there a request in the stipulation for 
the imposition of costs against Attorney Hubatch. 
¶2 
After careful review of the matter, we agree that a 
three-year suspension of Attorney Hubatch's license to practice 
law is a proper sanction.  Because the matter is being resolved 
without the appointment of a referee, we do not impose any costs 
on Attorney Hubatch. 
¶3 
Attorney Hubatch was admitted to the practice of law 
in Wisconsin in 2004.  His law license was suspended effective 
October 31, 2007, for failure to pay State Bar dues.  His 
license remains suspended.  Attorney Hubatch has not previously 
been the subject of professional discipline. 
                                                                                                                                                             
 
(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. 
No. 
2013AP1483-D   
 
3 
 
¶4 
The stipulation states that on January 11, 2013, 
Attorney Hubatch donned a Bucky Badger hat and robbed a Madison, 
Wisconsin, credit union of $500 while in possession of a toy 
gun.  Within the following week, after being spotted publicly 
wearing the Bucky Badger hat, Attorney Hubatch confessed to a 
Madison detective that he had robbed the credit union. 
¶5 
Attorney Hubatch was charged with one count of armed 
robbery in violation of Wis. Stat. § 943.32(2) in Dane County 
Circuit Court Case No. 2013CF117.  Attorney Hubatch pled guilty 
to the charge on February 21, 2013.  On April 16, 2013, the 
circuit court sentenced Attorney Hubatch to two years in prison, 
followed by three years of extended supervision.  Attorney 
Hubatch is currently incarcerated at the Oshkosh Correctional 
Institution. 
¶6 
On July 2, 2013, the OLR filed a complaint alleging 
that by engaging in conduct leading to a conviction for felony 
armed robbery, Attorney Hubatch violated SCR 20:8.4(b).2 
¶7 
On 
July 
16, 
2013, 
the 
parties 
entered 
into 
a 
stipulation whereby Attorney Hubatch agreed that his conduct 
violated SCR 20:8.4(b).  He further agreed that it would be 
appropriate for this court to impose the level of discipline 
sought by the OLR director, namely, a three-year suspension of 
his license to practice law in Wisconsin. 
                                                 
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; . . . ." 
No. 
2013AP1483-D   
 
4 
 
¶8 
Attorney Hubatch avers the stipulation did not result 
from plea bargaining.  He represents he fully understands the 
misconduct allegations and ramifications should the court impose 
a three-year license suspension.  He also states he fully 
understands his right to contest the matter and his right to 
consult with counsel.  He represents that his entry into the 
stipulation is made knowingly and voluntarily. 
¶9 
Having carefully considered this matter, we approve 
the stipulation and adopt the stipulated facts and legal 
conclusion of professional misconduct.  We also agree that, 
given the serious nature of the misconduct, a three-year 
suspension of Attorney Hubatch's license to practice law is 
appropriate.  We note that we have previously imposed three-year 
license suspensions in cases where attorneys have been convicted 
of criminal offenses.  For example, in In re Disciplinary 
Proceedings Against Calhoun, 196 Wis. 2d 665, 538 N.W.2d 797 
(1995), an attorney's license was suspended for three years as 
discipline for conduct that resulted in two convictions for 
possession 
and 
delivery 
of 
cocaine 
and 
for 
numerous 
misrepresentations to the sentencing court, the prosecutor, and 
physicians regarding the attorney's use of cocaine and the type 
of treatment he had pursued for his addiction.  In the instant 
case, we find that a three-year suspension of Attorney Hubatch's 
license to practice law will protect the public, the courts and 
the legal system from repetition of the misconduct, will impress 
upon Attorney Hubatch the seriousness of his misconduct, and 
will deter other attorneys from committing similar misconduct. 
No. 
2013AP1483-D   
 
5 
 
¶10 IT IS ORDERED that the license of Randi H. Hubatch to 
practice law in Wisconsin is suspended for three years, 
effective the date of this order. 
¶11 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Randi H. Hubatch shall 
continue compliance with the provisions of SCR 22.26 concerning 
the duties of a person whose license to practice law in 
Wisconsin has been suspended. 
 
No. 
2013AP1483-D   
 
 
 
1