Title: Office of Lawyer Regulation v. Gerald P. Boyle
Citation: N/A
Docket Number: 2017AP000512-D
State: Wisconsin
Issuer: Wisconsin Supreme Court
Date: November 30, 2018

2018 WI 108 
 
SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN 
 
 
 
 
 
CASE NO.: 
2017AP512-D 
COMPLETE TITLE: 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings  
Against Gerald P. Boyle, Attorney at Law: 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation, 
          Complainant, 
     v. 
Gerald P. Boyle, 
          Respondent. 
 
 
 
 
DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AGAINST GERALD P. BOYLE 
 
 
OPINION FILED: 
November 30, 2018 
SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS: 
      
ORAL ARGUMENT: 
      
 
 
SOURCE OF APPEAL: 
 
 
COURT: 
      
 
COUNTY: 
      
 
JUDGE: 
      
 
 
 
JUSTICES: 
 
 
CONCURRED: 
      
 
DISSENTED: 
      
 
NOT PARTICIPATING:          
 
 
 
ATTORNEYS: 
 
 
      
 
 
2018 WI 108
NOTICE 
This opinion is subject to further 
editing and modification.  The final 
version will appear in the bound 
volume of the official reports.   
No.   2017AP512-D 
 
 
STATE OF WISCONSIN  
 
 
   : 
IN SUPREME COURT 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Gerald P. Boyle, Attorney at Law: 
 
Office of Lawyer Regulation,   
 
 
Complainant,   
 
 
v. 
 
Gerald P. Boyle,   
 
 
Respondent.   
FILED 
 
NOV 30, 2018 
 
Sheila T. Reiff 
Clerk of Supreme Court 
 
 
 
 
ATTORNEY 
disciplinary 
proceeding.   Attorney's 
license 
suspended indefinitely.   
 
¶1 
PER CURIAM.   We review Referee Jonathan V. Goodman's 
report recommending that we indefinitely suspend the Wisconsin 
law license of Gerald P. Boyle due to his medical incapacity, 
and hold the pending disciplinary proceeding against him in 
abeyance for as long as his license remains suspended.   
¶2 
This matter began with a March 2017 disciplinary 
complaint filed by the Office of Lawyer Regulation (OLR) against 
Attorney Boyle.  The OLR alleged that Attorney Boyle committed 
four counts of professional misconduct involving two client 
No. 
2017AP512-D   
 
2 
 
matters, and two additional counts of misconduct related to his 
failure to cooperate with the OLR's investigation into those 
matters.   
¶3 
In April 2017, after receiving confirmation that 
Attorney Boyle had been served with the complaint, the court 
appointed Jonathan V. Goodman to serve as the referee in this 
matter.  See SCR 22.13(3). 
¶4 
In May 2017, Attorney Boyle, through counsel, filed an 
answer to the complaint in which he denied most of the 
allegations of misconduct and asked for the complaint to be 
dismissed or, alternatively, for a hearing on the matter. 
¶5 
In February 2018, Attorney Boyle, through counsel, 
declared in a filing that he suffered from a medical incapacity 
that made the defense of the disciplinary proceeding impossible.  
See SCR 22.16(4)(d).1  Attorney Boyle explained that his medical 
condition had necessitated an extended stay in a hospital 
                                                 
1 SCR 22.16(4)(d) provides: 
If the referee finds that a medical incapacity 
makes the defense of the proceeding impossible, the 
referee shall file a report promptly with the supreme 
court.  If the court disapproves the referee's 
finding, the court shall direct the referee to proceed 
with the misconduct action.  If the court approves the 
referee's 
finding, 
the 
court 
shall 
abate 
the 
misconduct proceeding and suspend the respondent's 
license to practice law for medical incapacity until 
the court orders reinstatement of the attorney's 
license under SCR 22.36.  Upon reinstatement, the 
court shall direct the referee to proceed with the 
misconduct action. 
No. 
2017AP512-D   
 
3 
 
intensive care unit.  He stated that his doctors have deemed him 
not capable of working as an attorney.  In March 2018, Attorney 
Boyle, through counsel, filed a doctor's report that further 
explained his medical condition.   
¶6 
In July 2018, the parties filed a stipulation stating 
that Attorney Boyle has substantial medical problems that make 
his defense of the disciplinary proceeding impossible.   
¶7 
Later in July 2018, the referee filed a report and 
recommendation stating that, based upon the stipulation and a 
review of submitted medical records:  (1) Attorney Boyle has a 
medical incapacity that makes his defense of the disciplinary 
proceeding impossible; and (2) the proceedings in this matter 
should be abated and Attorney Boyle's law license should be 
indefinitely suspended pursuant to SCR 22.16(4)(d).  The referee 
further recommended that the court decline to impose costs on 
Attorney Boyle because he is no longer able to be employed. 
¶8 
On August 20, 2018, the OLR filed its statement of 
costs, seeking full costs totaling $1,426.93.   
¶9 
On 
September 
10, 
2018, 
Attorney 
Boyle, 
through 
counsel, filed a letter encouraging the court to adopt the 
referee's recommendation that no costs be assessed against him.  
Attorney Boyle asserted that he is unable to work, and thus the 
imposition of costs would impose a hardship. 
¶10 We adopt the referee's finding that Attorney Boyle has 
a medical incapacity that makes the defense of this disciplinary 
proceeding 
impossible. 
 
We 
agree 
with 
the 
referee's 
recommendation that Attorney Boyle's license to practice law in 
No. 
2017AP512-D   
 
4 
 
Wisconsin 
should 
be 
suspended 
indefinitely 
pursuant 
to 
SCR 22.16(4)(d). 
 
We 
also 
agree 
with 
the 
referee's 
recommendation that the proceedings in this matter should be 
abated pursuant to SCR 22.16(4)(d).   
¶11 We depart from the referee's recommendation that, in 
this decision, we should absolve Attorney Boyle of the costs of 
this proceeding.  Because we are staying a determination on the 
merits of this disciplinary proceeding due to Attorney Boyle's 
medical incapacity, it would be premature to rule now on the 
OLR's request for costs, one way or the other.  Therefore, we 
hold the OLR's request for costs in abeyance until such time, if 
any, as this disciplinary proceeding is resumed pursuant to 
SCR 22.16(4)(d).   
¶12 IT IS ORDERED that the license of Gerald P. Boyle to 
practice law in Wisconsin is suspended for an indefinite period, 
commencing the date of this order and until further order of the 
court.  See SCR 22.16(4)(d). 
¶13 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Office of Lawyer 
Regulation's request for costs is held in abeyance until such 
time, if any, as this disciplinary proceeding is resumed 
pursuant to SCR 22.16(4)(d).  
¶14 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Gerald P. Boyle 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. 
 
No. 
2017AP512-D   
 
 
 
1