Kenosha County DA's law license suspended Monday, reinstated Tuesday
Updated: Sept. 15, 2026
KENOSHA COUNTY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A memorandum released Tuesday, Sept. 15, says Kenosha County District Attorney Xavier Solis' lawyer license has been reinstated, one day after it was suspended by the state.
The full memo can be found here:
Kenosha County District Attorney Xavier Solis provided this statement to CBS 58 on Tuesday:
"I want to sincerely thank the members of our community, as well as the many attorneys and colleagues who reached out to me with words of support and encouragement. Your calls, messages, prayers, and expressions of confidence have meant a great deal to me and my family. I am deeply grateful for the support I have received and remain committed to serving the people of Kenosha County."
On Monday, a memo showed Wisconsin's Office of Lawyer Regulation (OLR) suspended his lawyer license for "willfully failing to cooperate with investigations into alleged misconduct."
"It's very rare to see a district attorney disciplined for this type of noncompliance with ethical rules or ethical procedures," said John Gross, the director of the Public Defender Project at University of Wisconsin School of Law.
According to Gross, the OLR is responsible for investigating disciplinary complaints against attorneys who violate ethical rules.
"Lawyers can't take the fifth. When you're being investigated by the Office of Lawyer Regulation, you have to cooperate in that investigation," he said.
However, Gross was not surprised by how quickly Solis' license was reinstated.
"The suspension is based on non-cooperation. So, as soon as the lawyer demonstrates their willingness to cooperate, then it's reasonable for the OLR to say, okay, we can restore your license now," he explained.
Despite its procedural nature, Gross said he finds Solis' misstep alarming, calling the position of district attorney one of the most important and powerful elected positions.
"Prosecutorial negligence leads to wrongful convictions, so if the head of the office is not actually keeping themselves licensed, I mean, that's concerning," said Gross.
A spokesperson with the Supreme Court of Wisconsin's Office of Lawyer Regulation said they cannot comment on confidential investigations within the office.
CBS 58 reached out to the Kenosha County District Attorney's Office for more information about the situation but did not receive a response.
KENOSHA COUNTY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Kenosha County District Attorney Xavier Solis has had his Wisconsin law license suspended, according to a memo issued Monday, Sept. 14 by the state Supreme Court's Office of Lawyer Regulation.
The memo cites Solis' failure to cooperate with investigations into alleged misconduct but does not specify what accusations were under investigation.
It is also unclear how the suspension affects Solis' role as Kenosha County's district attorney.