Court Opinion

ID: 9910354
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-12-15 15:13:14.09227+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T12:52:25.273367
License: Public Domain

2023 WI 78

                  SUPREME COURT OF WISCONSIN
CASE NO.:              2023AP1294-D

COMPLETE TITLE:        In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings
                       Against Peter James Nickitas, Attorney at Law:

                       Office of Lawyer Regulation,
                                 Complainant,
                            v.
                       Peter James Nickitas,
                                 Respondent.

                          DISCIPLINARY PROCEEDINGS AGAINST NICKITAS

OPINION FILED:         December 15, 2023
SUBMITTED ON BRIEFS:
ORAL ARGUMENT:

SOURCE OF APPEAL:
   COURT:
   COUNTY:
   JUDGE:

JUSTICES:
Per curiam.

ATTORNEYS:
                                                                            2023 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.   2023AP1294-D

STATE OF WISCONSIN                                :            IN SUPREME COURT

In the Matter of Disciplinary Proceedings
Against Peter James Nickitas, Attorney at Law:

Office of Lawyer Regulation,                                             FILED
              Complainant,                                          DEC 15, 2023
      v.                                                             Samuel A. Christensen
                                                                    Clerk of Supreme Court
Peter James Nickitas,

              Respondent.

      ATTORNEY      disciplinary        proceeding.          Attorney's          license

suspended.

      ¶1      PER CURIAM. This is a reciprocal discipline matter.

On July 21, 2023, the Office of Lawyer Regulation (OLR) filed a

complaint     and   motion,    pursuant    to     Supreme       Court     Rule     (SCR)

22.22,     asking   this     court    to   suspend         Attorney      Peter     James

Nickitas's license to practice law in Wisconsin for a period of

120   days,    as   discipline       reciprocal       to   that    imposed       by   the

Supreme Court of Minnesota.
                                                                        No.    2023AP1294-D

      ¶2        On September 19, 2023, in response to OLR's motion,

this court issued an order directing Attorney Nickitas to show

cause, in writing, within twenty days, why the imposition of

discipline       reciprocal       to   that     imposed      in    Minnesota    would     be

unwarranted.            On October 3, 2023, Attorney Nickitas filed a

response to this court's motion.                         Attorney Nickitas does not

object     to     the    imposition       of    reciprocal        discipline,      but    he

requests that the 120-day suspension be applied retroactively so

as to run coterminous with the term of his Minnesota suspension.

On October 11, 2023, OLR filed a response opposing a retroactive

suspension.        Upon review of the matter, we decline to make the

120-day suspension retroactive.

      ¶3        Attorney       Nickitas   was      admitted       to   practice    law    in

Wisconsin in 1991.               He is also admitted to practice law in

Minnesota.        His most recent address on file with the State Bar

of Wisconsin is in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

      ¶4        Attorney Nickitas's professional disciplinary history

in Wisconsin consists of a 90-day suspension imposed in 2006,
reciprocal to a suspension in Minnesota, see In re Disciplinary

Proceedings Against Nickitas, 2006 WI 20, 289 Wis. 2d 18, 710

N.W.2d     464,    and     a    30-day    suspension        imposed     in    2014,      also

reciprocal to a suspension in Minnesota.                      See In re Disciplinary

Proceedings Against Nickitas, 2014 WI 12, 352 Wis. 2d 641, 843

N.W.2d 438.

      ¶5        On January 11, 2023, the Supreme Court of Minnesota

suspended Attorney Nickitas's Minnesota law license for 120 days
for   using        profane,       abusive,         and     obscene      language      while
                                               2
                                                                         No.     2023AP1294-D

communicating      with       court    staff,        making    false     and    disparaging

comments       about    a     judge,      and       attempting      to   exert       improper

influence on a judge.              Attorney Nickitas timely notified OLR of

the Minnesota suspension.

    ¶6         Supreme Court Rule 22.22(3) provides that this court

"shall    impose       the    identical     discipline         or    license     suspension

unless . . . [t]he procedure in the other jurisdiction was so

lacking in notice or opportunity to be heard as to constitute a

deprivation of due process"; "[t]here was such an infirmity of

proof establishing the misconduct . . . that the supreme court

could    not    accept       as   final    the      conclusion      in   respect      to   the

misconduct . . ."; or "[t]he misconduct justifies substantially

different discipline in this state."

    ¶7         Attorney Nickitas has not claimed that any of these

three exceptions exist and, as noted, he does not oppose the

imposition of reciprocal discipline.                        His only argument is that

the 120-day suspension in Wisconsin should be made retroactive

to the term of the Minnesota suspension because he says he was
not practicing law in Wisconsin during that time.

    ¶8         In opposing the request for a retroactive suspension,

OLR notes that Attorney Nickitas made an identical request when

reciprocal discipline was last imposed in 2014.                            OLR says that

Attorney       Nickitas's         purported         voluntary        cessation       of    the

practice of law in Wisconsin during the term of his Minnesota

suspension      does     not      warrant       retroactive         application       of   the

suspension imposed by this court.                       As in 2014, we agree with
OLR's    reasoning.               Suspensions         are     generally        not    imposed
                                                3
                                                       No.    2023AP1294-D

retroactively, and there are no special circumstances present in

this case that would warrant a retroactive suspension.

    ¶9      IT IS ORDERED that the license of Peter James Nickitas

to practice law in Wisconsin is suspended for a period of 120

days, effective January 19, 2024.

    ¶10     IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that Peter James Nickitas 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.

    ¶11     IT   IS   FURTHER   ORDERED   that   compliance   with    all

conditions of this order is required for reinstatement.          See SCR

22.28(2).

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    No.   2023AP1294-D

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