Title: Office of Lawyer Regulation v. Guy Norman Maras

State: wisconsin

Issuer: Wisconsin Supreme Court

Document:

2020 WI 78 
 
SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN 
 
 
 
 
 
CASE NO.: 
2020AP762-D 
 
 
 
COMPLETE TITLE: 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Guy Norman Maras, Attorney at Law: 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation, 
          Complainant, 
     v. 
Guy Norman Maras, 
          Respondent. 
 
 
 
 
 
DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AGAINST MARAS 
 
 
OPINION FILED: 
September 30, 2020   
SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS: 
        
ORAL ARGUMENT: 
        
 
 
SOURCE OF APPEAL: 
 
 
COURT: 
        
 
COUNTY: 
        
 
JUDGE: 
        
 
 
 
JUSTICES: 
 
Per Curiam.  
NOT PARTICIPATING: 
        
 
 
 
ATTORNEYS: 
 
      
 
 
 
 
2020 WI 78
NOTICE 
This opinion is subject to further 
editing and modification.  The final 
version will appear in the bound 
volume of the official reports.   
No.  2020AP762-D 
 
 
STATE OF WISCONSIN  
 
 
   : 
IN SUPREME COURT 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Guy Norman Maras, Attorney at Law: 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation, 
 
          Complainant, 
 
     v. 
 
Guy Norman Maras, 
 
          Respondent. 
FILED 
 
SEP 30, 2020 
 
Sheila T. Reiff 
Clerk of Supreme Court 
 
 
 
 
ATTORNEY 
disciplinary 
proceeding.   Attorney's 
license 
suspended.   
 
¶1 
PER CURIAM.   The Office of Lawyer Regulation (OLR) 
and Attorney Guy Norman Maras have filed a stipulation pursuant 
to Supreme Court Rule (SCR) 22.12 that Attorney Maras' license 
to practice law in Wisconsin should be suspended for a period of 
six months, as discipline reciprocal to that imposed by the 
Supreme Court of Illinois.  After reviewing the matter, we 
approve the stipulation and impose the stipulated reciprocal 
discipline.  In addition, as the parties also stipulated, we 
find it appropriate to order Attorney Maras to comply with the 
No. 
2020AP762-D   
 
2 
 
terms and conditions of the Illinois disciplinary order.  Since 
this matter was resolved by means of a stipulation, without the 
need for the appointment of a referee, we impose no costs. 
¶2 
Attorney Maras was admitted to the practice of law in 
Wisconsin in 2009.  He was admitted to practice law in Illinois 
in 1995 and practiced in Chicago.  Attorney Maras has not been 
the subject of previous professional discipline in this state. 
¶3 
On April 8, 2020, the OLR filed a disciplinary 
complaint alleging that Attorney Maras should be subject to 
reciprocal discipline due to a suspension imposed by the Supreme 
Court of Illinois.  On June 23, 2020, after the OLR's complaint 
had been served on Attorney Maras, the OLR and Attorney Maras 
entered into a stipulation whereby Attorney Maras agreed that 
the 
facts 
alleged 
in 
the 
OLR's 
complaint 
supported 
the 
imposition of reciprocal discipline. 
¶4 
According 
to 
the 
stipulation 
and 
the 
Illinois 
disciplinary records attached to the OLR's complaint, on July 
28, 
2018, 
Attorney 
Maras 
consumed 
at 
least 
five 
drinks 
containing Scotch whisky while socializing with friends in 
Oconto County, Wisconsin.  At approximately 12:00 a.m. on July 
29, 2018, Attorney Maras and his friend, J.G., left the cabin 
where they were staying to purchase cigars at a gas station 
located approximately seven miles away.  Attorney Maras drove to 
the gas station, and J.G. was his passenger.  On the way back to 
the cabin, at approximately 1:30 a.m., Attorney Maras drove his 
vehicle at approximately 100 miles per hour.  He lost control of 
the vehicle, drove off the roadway, hit a tree stump, and caused 
No. 
2020AP762-D   
 
3 
 
J.G.'s ejection from the vehicle.  J.G. died from blunt force 
trauma.   
¶5 
When 
Oconto 
County 
Sheriff's 
Department 
deputies 
arrived at the scene, they smelled alcohol on Attorney Maras' 
breath and observed that his speech was thick and his eyes were 
glossy.  Attorney Maras admitted consuming four drinks of Scotch 
approximately two hours before the incident.  A witness reported 
that Attorney Maras made several statements at the scene that he 
had killed his friend because of his alcoholism.  Attorney Maras 
was advised that he was under arrest for operating a vehicle 
while intoxicated. 
¶6 
Attorney Maras sustained injuries in the accident and 
was transported to a hospital in Green Bay.  At the hospital, at 
approximately 4:30 a.m., his blood was drawn and registered a 
0.169 blood alcohol concentration. 
¶7 
On September 13, 2018, the Oconto County District 
Attorney's Office filed a three-count criminal complaint against 
Attorney Maras.  The district attorney filed a superseding 
information on September 24, 2018 charging Attorney Maras with 
homicide 
by 
intoxicated 
use 
of 
a 
vehicle, 
homicide 
by 
intoxicated 
use 
of 
a 
vehicle 
with 
a 
prohibited 
alcohol 
concentration, and homicide by negligent operation of a vehicle. 
¶8 
On February 5, 2019, Attorney Maras pled guilty to 
homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle, a Class D felony.  He 
was sentenced to three years of incarceration and 10 years of 
extended supervision, both stayed, ordered to serve one year of 
jail time on work release, to perform 80 hours of community 
No. 
2020AP762-D   
 
4 
 
service, and to complete 15 years of probation.  He was also 
fined $5,000, ordered to pay costs, and ordered not to possess 
or consume alcohol or illegal drugs.  Pursuant to the negotiated 
plea, the district attorney's office dismissed the other 
charges. 
¶9 
On November 25, 2019 the administrator of the Illinois 
Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission (ARDC) and 
Attorney Maras filed with the Supreme Court of Illinois a 
petition to impose discipline on consent.  The petition noted 
that Attorney Maras has not been previously disciplined, is 
remorseful, and has been cooperative in the disciplinary 
proceedings.  The petition further noted that Attorney Maras 
suffers from an alcohol use disorder, is in sustained remission, 
and his maladaptive use of alcohol, which led to the accident, 
was causally related to his misconduct.  The petition stated 
that Attorney Maras has maintained his sobriety since the day of 
his arrest in July 2018, has a sponsor in the Alcoholics 
Anonymous program, and is complying with all court ordered 
conditions of his probation.  The administrator requested that 
the court enter an order suspending Attorney Maras from the 
practice of law for three years and until further order of the 
court, with the suspension stayed after six months in favor of a 
three-year period of probation, with various conditions. 
¶10 On January 17, 2020, the Supreme Court of Illinois 
entered an order, consistent with the parties' petition, 
imposing discipline on Attorney Maras suspending his Illinois 
law license for three years and until further order of the 
No. 
2020AP762-D   
 
5 
 
court, with the suspension stayed after six months by a three-
year period of probation.  The conditions of probation are: 
a. Maras shall abstain from the use of alcohol and any 
unprescribed controlled substances; 
b. Maras shall, as required by the Administrator of 
the ARDC, submit to random substance testing by a 
qualified 
mental 
health 
professional 
or 
facility 
approved by the Administrator, within eight hours of 
receiving notice by the Administrator that he shall 
submit to the testing. The results of the tests shall 
be reported to the Administrator. Maras shall pay any 
and all costs of such testing; 
c. Maras shall attend meetings as scheduled by the 
ARDC probation officer. Maras shall submit quarterly 
written 
reports 
to 
the 
ARDC 
probation 
officer 
concerning the status of his practice of law and the 
nature 
and 
extent 
of 
his 
compliance 
with 
the 
conditions of probation; 
d. Maras shall comply with any and all treatment and 
continuing 
care 
recommendations 
of 
the 
Illinois 
Lawyers' Assistance Program (LAP); 
e. Maras shall participate in Alcoholics Anonymous 
and/or LAP by attending at least one meeting a week. 
Maras is to maintain a log of his attendance at the 
meetings and submit them to the Administrator with his 
quarterly reports; 
f. Maras shall provide the Administrator and LAP with 
an 
appropriate 
release, 
authorizing 
the 
treating 
professionals to:  (1) disclose to the Administrator 
information 
pertaining 
to 
the 
nature 
of 
Maras' 
compliance with any treatment plan established with 
respect to his conditions; (2) to promptly report to 
the  Administrator Maras' failure to comply with any 
part of an established treatment plan; and (3) to 
respond 
to 
any 
inquiries 
by 
the 
Administrator 
regarding Maras' treatment and compliance with any 
established treatment plan; 
g. Maras shall maintain a sponsor in a 12-step program 
and shall provide the name, address and telephone 
No. 
2020AP762-D   
 
6 
 
number of the sponsor to the Administrator with in 
fourteen (14) days of being placed on probation.  
Maras shall request that the sponsor communicate with 
the Administrator in writing on a quarterly basis 
regarding Maras' participation and progress in the 12-
step program and report any lapses in sobriety or 
usage of unprescribed controlled substances to the 
Administrator within 72 hours of that usage; 
h. Maras shall report to the Administrator any lapse 
in 
his 
sobriety 
or 
usage 
of 
any 
unprescribed 
controlled substances with 72 hours of that usage; 
i. Maras shall comply with the provisions of Article 
VII of the Illinois Supreme Court Rules on Admission 
and Discipline of Attorneys and the Illinois Rules of 
Professional Conduct and shall timely cooperate with 
the Administrator in providing information regarding 
any investigations relating to his conduct; 
j. Maras shall reimburse the ARDC for the costs of its 
proceeding as defined in Supreme Court Rule 773 and 
shall reimburse the ARDC for any further costs 
incurred during the period of probation; 
k. At least 30 days prior to the termination of the 
period of probation, Maras shall reimburse the Client 
Protection 
Program 
Trust 
Fund 
for 
any 
Client 
Protection payments arising from his conduct;  
l. Maras shall notify the Administrator within seven 
days of any arrest or charge alleging his violation of 
any criminal or quasi-criminal statute or ordinance;  
m. Maras shall notify the Administrator within 14 days 
of any change of address; and  
n. Probation shall be revoked if Maras is found  to 
have violated any of the terms of probation. The 
remaining 
portion 
of 
the 
three 
year 
period 
of 
suspension shall commence from the date of the 
determination that any term of probation has been 
violated and shall continue until further order of the 
Court. 
¶11 Under SCR 22.22(3), this court shall impose the 
identical discipline imposed in another jurisdiction, unless one 
No. 
2020AP762-D   
 
7 
 
or more of three exceptions apply.  In his stipulation, Attorney 
Maras states that he does not claim any of the exceptions.  He 
agrees that this court should impose the level of discipline 
sought by the OLR director, a suspension of Attorney Maras' 
license to practice law in Wisconsin for six months with an 
order that he comply with all aspects of the Illinois Supreme 
Court's probationary terms. 
¶12 Attorney Maras further states that the stipulation was 
not the result of plea-bargaining, that he fully understands the 
allegations 
against 
him, 
that 
he 
fully 
understands 
the 
ramifications should this court impose the stipulated level of 
discipline, that he fully understands the right to contest the 
matter, that he understands his right to consult with counsel 
and represents that he has in fact consulted with counsel, that 
his 
entry 
into 
the 
stipulation 
is 
made 
knowingly 
and 
voluntarily, that he has read the OLR's complaint and the 
SCR 22.12 stipulation, and that his entry into the stipulation 
represents his decision not to contest the allegations regarding 
reciprocal discipline in the OLR's complaint or the level and 
type of discipline sought by the OLR's director. 
¶13 Having reviewed the matter, we accept the stipulation 
and impose a six-month suspension of Attorney Maras' license to 
practice law in Wisconsin, as discipline reciprocal to that 
imposed by the Supreme Court of Illinois.  We further order 
Attorney Maras to comply with all of the terms and conditions of 
the Illinois disciplinary order. 
No. 
2020AP762-D   
 
8 
 
¶14 IT IS ORDERED that the license of Guy Norman Maras to 
practice law in Wisconsin is suspended for a period of six 
months, effective November 11, 2020. 
¶15 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Guy Norman Maras shall 
comply with all of the terms and conditions set forth in the 
Supreme Court of Illinois order dated January 17, 2020. 
¶16 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Guy Norman Maras 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. 
¶17 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that compliance with all 
conditions of this order is required for reinstatement from the 
disciplinary suspension imposed herein. 
 
No. 
2020AP762-D   
 
 
 
1