Opinion
A19-1086
11-15-2019
IN RE Petition for DISCIPLINARY ACTION AGAINST William Lund NORINE, a Minnesota Attorney, Registration No. 0188049.
ORDER
The Director of the Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility has filed a petition for disciplinary action seeking reciprocal discipline after the Wisconsin Supreme Court publicly reprimanded respondent William Lund Norine for misconduct he committed while he acted in his capacity as the Burnett County District Attorney. See In re Norine , 2019-OLR-3, Order at 2–3 (Wis. filed Feb. 15, 2019). Specifically, respondent sexually harassed women facing criminal charges in his county, although he was not personally prosecuting the matters, which created conflicts of interest from which he failed to withdraw. See Wis. Sup. Ct. R. 20:1.7(a)(2), 20:1.16(a), 20:8.4(i).
Respondent was admitted to practice law in Minnesota in 1987. Respondent is not currently authorized to practice law in Minnesota because he is on voluntary-restricted continuing-legal-education status and his registration status is inactive. See Rule 2.B, 6, Rules of the Supreme Court on Lawyer Registration; Rule 2.W, 12, Rules of the Minnesota State Board of Continuing Legal Education. Respondent has informed the court that he has not practiced in Minnesota for nearly 11 years, he has no plans to practice law in Minnesota in the future, and he intends to resign from the Minnesota bar when this proceeding has concluded.
Respondent and the Director have entered into a stipulation for discipline. In it, respondent waives his procedural rights under Rule 12(d), Rules on Lawyers Professional Responsibility (RLPR), and unconditionally admits the allegations in the petition. The parties jointly recommend that the appropriate discipline is a public reprimand.
This court has independently reviewed the file and approves the jointly recommended disposition.
Based upon all the files, records, and proceedings herein,
IT IS HEREBY ORDERED THAT:
1. Respondent William Lund Norine is publicly reprimanded.
2. Respondent shall pay $900 in costs pursuant to Rule 24, RLPR.