Revocation Imposed For Criminal Harassment By Spurned Attorney
The Wisconsin Supreme Court rejected a proposed stipulated two-year suspension and has ordered the license revocation of an attorney
While we accept the referee’s factual findings and conclusions of law, we conclude Attorney Meyer’s serious and disturbing conduct, in which he used his position as an attorney to intimidate and threaten a woman with whom he had been in a relationship, warrants the revocation of his Wisconsin law license. In the event Attorney Meyer seeks the reinstatement of his license to practice law, we agree with the conditions recommended by the referee, except for the requirement that Attorney Meyer undergo a psychological or psychiatric examination. We deny Attorney Meyer’s objection to costs and order him to pay the full costs of this proceeding.
The misconduct
According to the OLR’s complaint, in late October 2017, H.S. broke off her approximately nine-month dating relationship with Attorney Meyer. Attorney Meyer subsequently engaged in a pattern of conduct aimed at H.S. to cause her to believe that Attorney Meyer would ruin her life, commit acts of violence against her and her family and friends, damage her property, interfere with future relationships she may have, and leave her without a job and money. Attorney Meyer also made threats to H.S. to ruin her reputation with her employer.
Some specifics
On April 14, 2018, during an argument in Attorney Meyer’s apartment, Attorney Meyer punched H.S. in the face, resulting in a concussion and facial bruising significant enough for her to miss approximately two weeks of work.
She declined to press charges.
On multiple occasions after April 2018, Attorney Meyer made unwelcome and persistent phone calls to H.S. On at least one occasion, he made in excess of 120 calls in one day. H.S. was employed as a physician assistant and was required to keep her phone on at all times. Attorney Meyer also sent H.S. hundreds of unwelcome email messages. He made threats of harm to her, appeared at her apartment unannounced, and refused to leave.
Her attempts to break off were met with further threats and harassment
In early June 2019, H.S. again attempted to break up with Attorney Meyer and cut off all communication with him. On June 23, 2019, Attorney Meyer followed H.S. into the underground parking garage of her apartment. At this time, Attorney Meyer and H.S. no longer lived in the same building. Attorney Meyer opened the door to H.S.’s car, yelled at her and poured an energy drink on her vehicle. H.S. reported this incident to police.
During and after the relationship, Attorney Meyer communicated his intent to harm H.S. by using criminal defendants to enact violence on her family and men Attorney Meyer believed she had been intimate with; by employing a private investigator to follow H.S.; and threatening to sue H.S. for $20,000 for posting a negative Google review of Attorney Meyer’s law practice. Attorney Meyer repeatedly told H.S. he was insulated from legal consequences because of his position as a criminal defense lawyer.
On August 23, 2019, H.S. broke up with Attorney Meyer for the last time. During an argument in Attorney Meyer’s apartment, Attorney Meyer grabbed H.S. by the back of her head, covered her mouth with his other hand and told her to shut up. H.S. tried to call 911, but Attorney Meyer broke her phone by smashing it to the ground. He then pushed H.S., who fell and injured her elbow.
He was charged with four felonies
Attorney Meyer pled guilty to felony charges of threatening to communicate derogatory information and stalking.
While neither side had appealed the suspension recommendation
The facts of this case demonstrate a clear pattern of disturbing and egregious misconduct by Attorney Meyer and a complete and utter disregard for his obligations as an attorney. He has shown himself to be unwilling or unable to conform his conduct to the standards that are required to practice law in this state. No sanction short of revocation would be sufficient to protect the public, deter other lawyers from similar behavior, and impress upon Attorney Meyer the errors of his ways.
A concurring opinion notes that revocation permits eventual reinstatement.
ANN WALSH BRADLEY, J. (dissenting).
The parties stipulated to a two-year suspension as discipline in this case and the referee was in accord, deeming a two-year suspension an “appropriate level of discipline for the misconduct.” Per curiam, ¶1. Yet in this per curiam opinion, the majority concludes otherwise and imposes instead a revocation of license.
I write separately because the per curiam opinion fails to tether its chosen level of discipline to any discussion of precedent. It is unique in its approach. I do not recall ever seeing an Office of Lawyer Regulation disciplinary opinion where we imposed discipline without citing to some precedent, using it as a basis of discussion for the level of discipline we impose.
We often begin our discussion with the caveat that no two cases are alike but nevertheless the level of discipline imposed stays squarely within the confines of analogous prior cases. And, at other times, we acknowledge the existence of the precedent and explain our departure from it. Here the per curiam does neither.
No cases are cited in the per curiam to support its conclusion because there is no case to cite that supports a revocation. As a result, the imposition of a revocation seems rather arbitrary.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported on the sentencing. (Mike Frisch)