Title: Board of Attorneys Professional Responsibility v. Sharon A. Davison
Citation: 2002 WI 24
Docket Number: 2000AP001503-D
State: Wisconsin
Issuer: Wisconsin Supreme Court
Date: March 15, 2002

2002 WI 24 
 
 
SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN 
 
 
 
 
 
CASE NO.: 
00-1503-D 
COMPLETE TITLE: 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Sharon A. Davison, Attorney at Law: 
 
Board of Attorneys Professional  
Responsibility,  
          Complainant, 
 
     v. 
 
Sharon A. Davison,  
          Respondent. 
 
 
 
DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AGAINST DAVISON 
 
 
OPINION FILED: 
March 15, 2002   
SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS: 
        
ORAL ARGUMENT: 
        
 
 
SOURCE OF APPEAL: 
 
 
COURT: 
        
 
COUNTY: 
        
 
JUDGE: 
        
 
 
 
JUSTICES: 
 
 
CONCURRED: 
        
 
DISSENTED: 
        
 
NOT PARTICIPATING:         
 
 
 
ATTORNEYS: 
 
      
 
 
2002 WI 24 
NOTICE 
This opinion is subject to further 
editing and modification.  The final 
version will appear in the bound 
volume of the official reports.   
No.  00-1503-D  
 
STATE OF WISCONSIN  
 
 
   : 
IN SUPREME COURT 
 
 
In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings 
Against Sharon A. Davison, Attorney at  
Law: 
 
Board of Attorneys Professional  
Responsibility,  
 
          Complainant, 
 
     v. 
 
Sharon A. Davison,  
 
          Respondent. 
 
FILED 
 
MAR 15, 2002 
 
Cornelia G. Clark 
Clerk of Supreme Court 
 
 
 
 
 
ATTORNEY 
disciplinary 
proceeding.  Attorney's 
license 
suspended.   
 
¶1 
PER CURIAM   We review the report and recommendation 
of the referee that the license of Sharon A. Davison to practice 
law in Wisconsin be suspended for six months as discipline for 
professional misconduct.  The referee's findings of fact, 
conclusions 
of 
law, 
and 
recommendation 
for 
a 
six-month 
suspension were based on the parties' stipulation.  The 
No. 
00-1503-D   
 
2 
 
complaint filed by the Office of Lawyer Regulation (OLR)1 against 
Attorney Davison asserted that she had over billed the state 
public defender (SPD) by charging parking expenses not actually 
incurred in cases in which the SPD had appointed her.  The OLR 
complaint asserted, the parties stipulated, and the referee so 
found, that this constituted conduct involving dishonesty, 
fraud, 
deceit, 
or 
misrepresentation 
in 
violation 
of 
SCR 
20:8.4(c).2   
¶2 
We 
determine 
that 
the 
seriousness 
of 
Attorney 
Davison's professional misconduct warrants a suspension of her 
license to practice law in this state for six months.  We agree 
with the referee's recommendation.  We further conclude that 
Attorney Davison should be required to make restitution to the 
SPD in an appropriate amount to be determined by the OLR and 
that she be required to pay, within 60 days of the date of this 
decision, the cost of these proceedings totaling $8,717.21. 
¶3 
Sharon A. Davison was admitted to practice law in this 
state in 1981, and currently practices in Milwaukee.  She has 
                                                 
1 Effective 
October 
1, 
2000, 
Wisconsin's 
attorney 
disciplinary process underwent a substantial restructuring.  The 
name of the body responsible for investigating and prosecuting 
cases involving attorney misconduct was changed to the Office of 
Lawyer Regulation (OLR). 
  
2 SCR 20:8.4(c) provides: 
It is professional misconduct for a lawyer to:  
(c) engage in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit 
or misrepresentation.  
 
No. 
00-1503-D   
 
3 
 
not previously been the subject of an attorney disciplinary 
proceeding.  Based on the parties' stipulation, the referee 
found that from June 1992 to March 1995 Attorney Peter Vetter 
and Attorney James Weber were employed by Attorney Davison as 
salaried employees at her law offices.  During that time both 
Attorney 
Vetter 
and 
Attorney 
Weber 
received 
several 
SPD 
appointments.  All fees generated from such appointments were 
turned over to Attorney Davison. 
¶4 
Both Attorneys Vetter and Weber kept daily expense 
records regarding each SPD client they represented while working 
at Davison's law offices.  Clerical staff at the firm would, by 
computer, calculate the time and expenses for each SPD client 
from the daily time sheets kept by Attorneys Vetter and Weber; 
in addition, Attorneys Vetter and Weber would submit their 
handwritten, contemporaneous time and expense slips for each 
file.  The clerical staff would then compare the computerized 
time and expense sheets with the handwritten sheets and produce 
an itemization for each client which would then be turned over 
to Attorney Davison for review.  Under the internal office 
procedures followed in Attorney Davison's law offices, Attorneys 
Vetter and Weber had pre-signed undated SPD payment vouchers 
which had been forwarded to Attorney Davison. 
¶5 
Attorney Davison would finalize each SPD voucher 
submitted over the signatures of Attorneys Vetter and Weber and 
tally the total hours and expenses in each case.  She would then 
direct that the final billing be sent to the SPD for payment.  
The final vouchers submitted by Attorney Davison to the SPD for 
No. 
00-1503-D   
 
4 
 
payment were not, however, reviewed by Attorneys Vetter or Weber 
prior to submission. 
¶6 
The OLR complaint against Davison alleged, and the 
referee so found based on the parties' stipulation, that 
Attorney Davison added expenses for parking to the final 
vouchers for each SPD appointment case even though no parking 
expenses had actually been incurred by Attorneys Vetter or Weber 
in specific SPD cases in which they had been appointed.  The 
parties stipulated that on between 48 to 132 occasions between 
1992 and 1995, Attorney Davison had submitted parking expenses 
allegedly incurred by Attorney Vetter to the SPD for payment 
even though not all of those parking expenses had actually been 
incurred by Attorney Vetter.  It was further stipulated that the 
aggregate 
amount 
of 
those 
improper 
submissions 
regarding 
Attorney Vetter totaled between $585 and $1486. 
¶7 
Similarly, the parties stipulated and the referee so 
found that on between 51 to 78 occasions between 1993 and 1996, 
Attorney 
Davison had submitted parking 
expenses 
allegedly 
incurred by Attorney Weber to the SPD for payment even though 
not all of those parking expenses had actually been incurred by 
Attorney Weber.  It was further stipulated that the aggregate 
amount of those improper submissions regarding Attorney Weber 
totaled between $283 and $763. 
¶8 
Based on the parties' stipulation of facts, the 
referee concluded that OLR had proven by clear and convincing 
evidence that by charging the SPD for parking expenses not 
actually incurred, Attorney Davison had engaged in conduct 
No. 
00-1503-D   
 
5 
 
involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation in 
violation of SCR 20:8.4(c). 
¶9 
As a recommended discipline——again agreed to by the 
OLR and Attorney Davison——the referee recommended that this 
court suspend the license of Attorney Sharon Davison to practice 
law in this state for six months and that she be required to 
pay, within 60 days, the cost of these proceedings. 
¶10 We adopt the findings of fact and conclusions of law 
set forth in the referee's report and recommendation.  Attorney 
Davison's misconduct with respect to her submitting false 
vouchers to the SPD for payment for costs not actually incurred 
are serious failings warranting suspension of her license.  We 
agree that a six-month suspension of her license to practice law 
is appropriate discipline for her professional misconduct.   
¶11 IT IS ORDERED that the license of Sharon A. Davison to 
practice law in Wisconsin is suspended for a period of six 
months, effective April 26, 2002.  
¶12 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Sharon A. Davison comply 
with the provisions of SCR 22.26 concerning the duties of a 
person whose license to practice law in Wisconsin has been 
suspended. 
¶13 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Sharon A. Davison make 
restitution to the state public defender's office, within 60 
days of the date of this order, in an amount to be determined by 
the Office of Lawyer Regulation.  If this restitution is not 
made within the specified time, the license of Sharon A. Davison 
No. 
00-1503-D   
 
6 
 
to practice law in Wisconsin shall remain suspended until 
further order of this court.  
¶14 IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that within 60 days of the date 
of this order Sharon A. Davison pay to the Office of Lawyer 
Regulation the costs of these proceedings, totaling $8717.21.  
If the costs are not paid within the time specified and absent a 
showing to this court of her inability to pay the costs within 
that time, the license of Sharon A. Davison to practice law in 
this state shall remain suspended until further order of this 
court.   
No. 
00-1503-D   
 
 
 
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