Opinion ID: 1748199
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: summary suspension due to criminal conviction

Text: ¶33 Before we turn to Attorney Phillips' appeal of the referee's report and recommendation, we briefly address events that have occurred since the date of the referee's report. While the briefing of the present appeal was occurring, Attorney Phillips was charged in the United States District Court with attempting to evade the payment of a large portion of his federal income tax. This charge appears related to Attorney Phillips' attempts, using in part his client trust account, to hide from the IRS the proceeds of the $125,000 loan so that it would not be subject to garnishment. Pursuant to a plea agreement, Attorney Phillips pled guilty to the tax evasion charge on July 25, 2005. Ultimately, the federal district court sentenced Attorney Phillips to five months of incarceration, 150 days of home confinement, and three years of supervised release. Attorney Phillips did not inform the court of any of these events. ¶34 After the OLR learned of these facts and while the present appeal remained pending, it filed a motion pursuant to SCR 22.20(1) [8] for the summary suspension of Attorney Phillips' license to practice law in Wisconsin on the basis of his criminal conviction. Attorney Phillips did not respond to the OLR's motion. On January 20, 2006, this court granted the OLR's motion and summarily suspended Attorney Phillips' license to practice law in this state. On February 8, 2006, the OLR filed a new complaint against Attorney Phillips relating to the tax evasion conviction, which has been assigned Case No. 2006AP334-D. ¶35 Although the facts underlying the criminal conviction appear to have some connection with one of the loans at issue in this proceeding, we do not address at this time whether discipline should be imposed for that conduct. That matter will proceed according to SCR 22.20(6) and (7) [9] in Case No. 2006AP334-D, which this court will address in due course.