Contempts And Other Offenses Draw Suspension
A Michigan Hearing Panel ordered a 180-day suspension by consent of an attorney based on a series of criminal offenses
The notice, filed in accordance with MCR 9.120(B)(3), advised that respondent 1) was found in criminal contempt on March 24, 2023, in the matter titled In Re Contempt of Daren A. Wiseley, People of the State of Michigan v Justin Ray Mason, Presque Isle County, 53rd Judicial Circuit Court, Case No. 21-93168-FC; 2) was found in criminal contempt on April 3, 2023, in the matter titled In Re Contempt of Daren A. Wiseley, People of the State of Michigan v Justin Ray Mason, Presque Isle County, 53rd Judicial Circuit Court, Case No. 21-93168-FC; 3) was convicted on February 12, 2024, of failure to report an accident to fixtures, a misdemeanor, in violation of MCL 257.621, in the matter titled State of Michigan v Daren Wiseley, 3-A District Court, Case No. 20230696-ST; and, 4) was convicted on March 26, 2024, of battery, a misdemeanor, in violation of F.S.S. 784.03(1)(a)(1), in the matter titled State of Florida v Daren Andrew Wiseley, Ninth Judicial Circuit Court for Osceola County, Florida, Case No. 22-CF-002308.
Count One of the formal complaint alleged that, after respondent was convicted of the offenses set forth above, respondent failed to notify the Attorney Discipline Board and the Attorney Grievance Commission of the convictions. Count Two involves respondent’s conduct that lead to the contempt proceedings against him. Specifically, respondent represented Justin Mason in a criminal jury trial in Presque Isle County, Michigan. On March 23, 2023, while the jury deliberated, the court ordered both the prosecuting attorney and respondent to remain at the courthouse. However, when the jury submitted a question to the court, respondent was found to be absent, being located later asleep in an apartment nearby. Following the jury’s verdict, the court initiated a contempt proceeding, during which the court questioned respondent regarding his frame of mind, and respondent answered that he was merely tired but not under the influence but merely tired. The court found him in contempt for violating its order and sentenced him to 24 hours in jail. During booking, respondent’s breath test registered a blood alcohol content of 0.15, prompting a second contempt hearing. At that hearing, despite admitting to drinking, respondent denied being impaired. The court found him in criminal contempt for lying about his intoxication during the earlier proceeding and ordered another 24-hour jail term, to run concurrently with the first, with credit for time already served.
On February 18, 2025, the Grievance Administrator filed a second notice of filing of judgment of conviction, Case 25-14-JC, showing that respondent was convicted by guilty plea of Domestic Violence, a misdemeanor, in violation of MCL 750.812, in People v Daren Andrew Wiseley, 3A District Court – Branch County, Case No. 2024-00669-FY. Case 25-14-JC was consolidated before Washtenaw County Hearing Panel #3 with 24-102-JC and 24-103-GA.
Respondent and the Grievance Administrator filed a Stipulation for Consent Order of Discipline, in accordance with MCR 9.115(F)(5), which was approved by the Attorney Grievance Commission and accepted by Washtenaw County Hearing Panel #3. The stipulation contained respondent’s admissions to the convictions identified in the judgments of conviction and that these convictions constituted professional misconduct, as well as his no contest pleas to the factual allegations and allegations of professional misconduct set forth in Counts One and Two of the formal complaint.
WTBV reported on the domestic violence case
A Hillsdale attorney and one time candidate for a Michigan State House seat was formally charged in Branch County District Court on Monday in connection with an alleged attack against his girlfriend over the weekend.
32-year-old Daren Wiseley is facing charges of assault to do great bodily harm by strangulation and misdemeanor domestic violence.
According to Branch County court documents, Wiseley was arrested by Coldwater Police in the parking lot of the Taco Bell restaurant.
Court documents indicates the arrest came after a series of alleged arguments and physical confrontations between Wiseley and the woman which started hours earlier at their home in Hillsdale County.
Wiseley denied to police that he physically assaulted his girlfriend. Not guilty pleas were entered on his behalf during the arraignment.
Bond was set at $50,000. Wiseley was ordered not to have any contact with the alleged victim or be on her property if he should post bond.
He is scheduled to appear for a probable cause hearing on September 5 and for a preliminary examination on September 12.
Wiseley is a former Assistant Prosecutor in Hillsdale County who ran unsuccessfully in 2020 for the 58th District State House seat in the Republican Primary which was won by current State Representative Andrew Fink.
The Florida matter was covered by the Hillsdale Daily News
Daren Wiseley, a local attorney and former assistant prosecutor for Hillsdale County, was lodged at the Hillsdale County Jail Thursday morning on a warrant out of Osceola County, Florida.
Wiseley was first arrested on the felony Aug. 7 at the Hilton Vacation Club, Mystic Dunes Orlando in Kissimmee, Florida.
A police report filed in the Osceola County, Florida, circuit court states that Wiseley entered a fire rescue apparatus at approximately 1:30 a.m. Aug. 7 when firefighters were assisting his friend who was reported as sick.
Wiseley supposedly exited the truck and took off, reappearing a short time later and that is when a firefighter attempted to stop Wiseley from entering the truck for a second time.
Wiseley allegedly made verbal threats to the firefighter, grabbed the firefighter, pushed them and punched them, according to the report.
When interviewed by police, Wiseley denied assaulting the firefighter.
Wiseley posted bond for his pretrial release and returned to Michigan. He filed for a waiver of arraignment Sept. 5 in the Osceola, Florida, court where he was scheduled for arraignment Sept. 6.
A clerical error led to his arrest Thursday morning in Hillsdale County for failure to appear for arraignment Sept. 6, although he had filed his waiver of arraignment prior to Sept. 6.
In a text to The Hillsdale Daily News on Thursday afternoon, Wiseley stated he had been released from the Hillsdale County Jail after the clerical error was corrected.
The Osceola County, Florida clerk’s office website shows the warrant that led to his arrest Thursday had been recalled and it notes Wiseley is set for a pretrial hearing and trial, although those dates have yet to be published.
In Florida, battery on a firefighter — in this case charged as a third degree felony — is punishable by six months in prison.
(Mike Frisch)