Title: Office of Lawyer Regulation v. Keith R. Hughes

State: wisconsin

Issuer: Wisconsin Supreme Court

Document:

2008 WI 120 
 
SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN 
 
 
 
 
 
CASE NO.: 
2007AP2546-D 
COMPLETE TITLE: 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings  
Against Keith R. Hughes, Attorney at Law: 
 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation, 
          Complainant, 
     v. 
Keith R. Hughes, 
          Respondent. 
 
 
 
 
DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AGAINST HUGHES 
 
 
OPINION FILED: 
October 14, 2008   
SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS: 
        
ORAL ARGUMENT: 
        
 
 
SOURCE OF APPEAL: 
 
 
COURT: 
        
 
COUNTY: 
        
 
JUDGE: 
        
 
 
 
JUSTICES: 
 
 
CONCURRED: 
        
 
DISSENTED: 
        
 
NOT PARTICIPATING:         
 
 
 
ATTORNEYS: 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2008 WI 120
NOTICE 
This opinion is subject to further 
editing and modification.  The final 
version will appear in the bound 
volume of the official reports.   
No.  2007AP2546-D  
 
 
STATE OF WISCONSIN  
 
 
   : 
IN SUPREME COURT 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings  
Against Keith R. Hughes, Attorney at Law: 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation, 
 
          Complainant, 
 
     v. 
 
Keith R. Hughes, 
 
          Respondent. 
 
FILED 
 
OCT 14, 2008 
 
David R. Schanker 
Clerk of Supreme Court 
 
 
 
 
 
ATTORNEY 
disciplinary 
proceeding.   
Attorney's 
license 
suspended.   
 
¶1 
PER CURIAM.   We review the report of the referee 
recommending that Attorney Keith R. Hughes' license to practice 
law in Wisconsin be suspended for three years for professional 
misconduct.  No appeal has been filed.   
¶2 
On November 6, 2007, the Office of Lawyer Regulation 
(OLR) filed a single count disciplinary complaint alleging that 
Attorney Hughes' criminal conduct reflected adversely on his 
honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness as a lawyer in other 
No. 
2007AP2546-D   
 
2 
 
respects, in violation of SCR 20:8.4(b).1  Allan Beatty was 
appointed referee.   
¶3 
The violation arises out of the charge against 
Attorney Hughes for the felony of conspiracy to commit offense 
or to defraud the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. 
§ 371.2  We adopt the referee's report and recommendation and 
conclude that the seriousness of Attorney Hughes' misconduct 
warrants suspension of his license to practice law for three 
years.   
¶4 
Attorney Hughes was admitted to practice law in 
Wisconsin in 1989 and practiced in Eagle River.  In 1999 he 
consented to a private reprimand for incompetence and obtaining 
from a client a prospective malpractice waiver.  On September 
11, 2007, this court summarily suspended Attorney Hughes' 
license to practice law in Wisconsin pursuant to SCR 22.20.  See 
Office of Lawyer Regulation v. Hughes, Case No. 2007XX913-D.  
His license remains suspended.   
¶5 
In December 2006 Attorney Hughes entered a plea 
agreement whereby he agreed to plead guilty to conspiracy to 
commit offense or to defraud the United States, in violation of 
18 U.S.C. § 371.  On April 18, 2007, Attorney Hughes entered his 
                                                 
1 SCR 20:8.4(b) provides 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." 
2 See United States v. Hughes, Case No. 06CR344 (E.D. Wis. 
2007).   
No. 
2007AP2546-D   
 
3 
 
guilty plea and was found guilty.  He was sentenced to a prison 
term of one year and one day.  
¶6 
The plea agreement said that between November 2002 and 
November 2003, Attorney Hughes' creditors wrote off as bad debt 
or referred to collection agencies approximately 28 of Attorney 
Hughes' credit card loans, resulting in over $270,000 in 
principal debt plus additional unpaid fees and interest.  The 
federal sentencing transcript indicates that Attorney Hughes 
conspired with his girlfriend to use the proceeds of the credit 
card loans, without repayment, to purchase a house in Gulf 
Shores, Alabama.  According to the plea agreement, Attorney 
Hughes agreed to pay restitution as ordered by the federal court 
for at least the principal amounts owed to the credit card 
issuers and their assignees for the credit card debts he 
incurred in the course of the conspiracy to which he pled 
guilty.  The court ordered $146,100 in restitution.    
¶7 
After reviewing the federal sentencing transcript, the 
OLR recommended a three-year license suspension.  Although the 
offense 
to 
which 
he 
pled 
was 
serious, 
the 
mitigating 
circumstances discussed at sentencing involved Attorney Hughes' 
immediate cooperation with authorities.  In short, he cooperated 
fully in the investigation and successful prosecution of the co-
conspirator and provided documentary evidence to corroborate his 
account of the scheme.  The federal prosecutor observed that 
Attorney Hughes' assistance was significant, his testimony was 
truthful, and he had accepted responsibility.  The prosecutor 
said 
that 
Attorney 
Hughes 
should 
be 
rewarded 
for 
the 
No. 
2007AP2546-D   
 
4 
 
extraordinary steps he had taken to pay a significant amount of 
restitution after being charged and before sentencing.   
¶8 
The OLR and Attorney Hughes stipulated that a three-
year suspension of Attorney Hughes' license to practice law in 
Wisconsin (effective September 11, 2007, the date of the summary 
suspension) would be appropriate.  They stipulated that Attorney 
Hughes should be responsible for the cost of the disciplinary 
proceeding. 
¶9 
The stipulation states it is not the result of a plea 
bargain but reflects the OLR's measured consideration of 
information not available earlier.  The stipulation also states 
that every averment of the disciplinary complaint is true and 
accurate, 
specifically 
that 
Attorney 
Hughes 
committed 
professional misconduct because his criminal conduct reflects 
adversely on his honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness as a 
lawyer in other respects, in violation of SCR 20:8.4(b). 
¶10 Referee Beatty adopted the fact portion of the 
parties' stipulation and concluded Attorney Hughes violated SCR 
20:8.4(b), 
as 
alleged 
in 
count 
one 
of 
the 
disciplinary 
complaint.  The referee recommends a three-year suspension of 
Attorney 
Hughes' 
license 
to 
practice 
law 
in 
Wisconsin, 
retroactive to September 11, 2007.  Referee Beatty also 
recommends Attorney Hughes pay the cost of the disciplinary 
proceeding.  On June 26, 2008, the OLR submitted a statement of 
costs in the amount of $1,185.08.     
¶11 We adopt the referee's findings and conclusions set 
forth in his report and accept his recommendation.  Attorney 
No. 
2007AP2546-D   
 
5 
 
Hughes' misconduct is a serious violation warranting license 
suspension.  A three-year license suspension together with the 
imposition of the full cost of this proceeding is justified.  
This court takes into account the mitigating factors discussed 
in the federal sentencing transcript, which include Attorney 
Hughes' 
restitution 
attempts 
and 
his 
immediate 
and 
full 
cooperation with authorities.   
¶12 A 
three-year 
suspension 
is 
commensurate 
with 
discipline imposed in other cases.  For example, this court 
suspended Attorney Brian Burke's license for a period of two 
years, retroactive to January 3, 2006, after disciplinary 
proceedings 
were 
instituted 
following 
his 
conviction 
for 
misconduct in public office, a Class E felony, and obstructing 
an officer, a Class A misdemeanor.  See In re Disciplinary 
Proceedings Against Burke, 2007 WI 46, ¶6, 300 Wis. 2d 198, 730 
N.W.2d 651.  This court suspended Attorney Michael A. Gral's 
license for three years related to a federal criminal conviction 
for mail fraud.  The federal court had sentenced Gral to two 
years imprisonment and a $50,000 fine.  See In re Disciplinary 
Proceedings Against Gral, 2007 WI 22, 299 Wis. 2d 160, 727 
N.W.2d 495.  In 2005 Attorney Mark E. Sostarich received an 18-
month suspension for his conviction of the crime of conspiracy 
of sharing legal fees paid by his client with Gary George as 
part of a larger conspiracy.  See In re Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Sostarich, 2005 WI 97, 282 Wis. 2d 712, 698 N.W.2d 711. 
¶13 IT IS ORDERED that the license of Keith R. Hughes to 
practice law in Wisconsin is suspended for a period of three 
No. 
2007AP2546-D   
 
6 
 
years, effective the date of his summary license suspension, 
September 11, 2007.   
¶14 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that to the extent he has not 
done so already, Keith R. Hughes shall comply with SCR 22.26 
concerning the duties of a person whose license to practice law 
in Wisconsin has been suspended. 
¶15 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that within one year of the date 
of this order Keith R. Hughes pay to the Office of Lawyer 
Regulation the cost of this proceeding.  If the cost of this 
proceeding is not paid within the time specified and absent a 
showing to this court of his inability to pay within that time, 
the license of Keith R. Hughes to practice law in Wisconsin 
shall remain suspended until further order of this court. 
No. 
2007AP2546-D   
 
 
 
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