4-month license suspension recommended for Kratz

APPLETON - The special referee reviewing the disciplinary case against former Calumet Co. District Attorney Ken Kratz is recommending a less severe punishment than what the state wants.

The Office of Lawyer Regulation is seeking a six-month suspension of Kratz's law license for sending text messages to a crime victim, seeking a relationship. Kratz is seeking just a formal reprimand. The Wisconsin Supreme Court will decide what punishment, if any, is appropriate.

The report filed Monday by retired Judge Robert Kinney comes on the heels of a hearing last month. Kratz pleaded no contest to six of the ethics violations, leaving both sides to argue about the appropriate punishment.

• Click here to read the full recommendation

Kinney notes that other license suspensions of six months or more involved more serious conduct, that a fourth-month suspension better reflects the state's ability to prove its case, that Kratz is unlikely to reoffend, and that by being less than six months, Kratz would not have to seek license reinstatement from the Supreme Court.