Narrative Opinion Summary
A Nevada-licensed attorney, identified in the case as Andrew Wasielewski, has been temporarily suspended from practicing law due to his involvement in two misdemeanor convictions: theft and disorderly conduct. The theft charge, which originally qualified as a felony, was downgraded to a misdemeanor, following unauthorized credit card charges on a client’s account after his removal as counsel by the court. The attorney paid $20,000 in restitution in compliance with the court's mandate. Additionally, the disorderly conduct conviction arose from the misappropriation of $17,000 from an elderly client's trust account for personal use. These offenses were assessed as serious breaches under Nevada Supreme Court Rule 111, justifying the temporary suspension and prompting a referral to the Southern Nevada Disciplinary Board to adjudicate the degree of disciplinary action warranted. The court's decision serves as a final resolution to the present matters, with any subsequent issues requiring a new docket resolution.
Legal Issues Addressed
Misappropriation of Client Fundssubscribe to see similar legal issues
Application: The attorney was convicted of disorderly conduct for misappropriating funds from an elderly client's trust account for personal use.
Reasoning: The disorderly conduct conviction involved the misappropriation of approximately $17,000 from an elderly client's trust account for his personal use.
Referral to Disciplinary Board for Further Proceedingssubscribe to see similar legal issues
Application: The attorney's case was referred to the Southern Nevada Disciplinary Board to determine the extent of discipline to be imposed.
Reasoning: Both convictions are deemed serious under the Nevada Supreme Court Rule (SCR) 111, warranting a temporary suspension and referral to the Southern Nevada Disciplinary Board for further disciplinary proceedings.
Restitution Requirement in Criminal Convictionssubscribe to see similar legal issues
Application: In this case, the attorney was required to pay restitution as part of the sentence for the theft conviction, which he completed.
Reasoning: This charge, initially a felony, was reduced to a misdemeanor, and Wasielewski was ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution, which he has fulfilled.
Temporary Suspension of Attorney under SCR 111subscribe to see similar legal issues
Application: The attorney was temporarily suspended from practicing law following misdemeanor convictions that were deemed serious under SCR 111.
Reasoning: Andrew Wasielewski, a Nevada-licensed attorney, has been temporarily suspended from practicing law following two misdemeanor convictions: theft and disorderly conduct.