On Tuesday, September 12, 2023, the Supreme Court of the State of Oklahoma suspended attorney Ryan Steven Wiehl due to misconduct. The suspension resulted from Wiehl’s plea of no contest to multiple felony and misdemeanor charges following a violent altercation at a bar, including assault and battery on a police officer, emergency medical technician, and care provider, among other offenses.
The case is entitled “State of Oklahoma, ex rel. Oklahoma Bar Association v. Ryan Steven Wiehl.”
The disciplinary proceeding commenced on November 4, 2022, when the Oklahoma Bar Association (OBA) notified the Court of Wiehl’s plea. An Order of Immediate Interim Suspension was issued, temporarily suspending Wiehl’s license to practice law. Subsequently, a hearing was held before the Professional Responsibility Tribunal, which recommended a one-year suspension, with deferred suspension conditions until October 13, 2025. However, the Court extended the suspension to two years and one day from the date of the opinion and ordered Wiehl to cover associated costs.
In response to the charges, Wiehl entered a plea of no contest, leading to an unsupervised deferred sentence until October 13, 2025. Additionally, Wiehl’s plea resulted in fines and costs, which were subsequently reduced by fifty percent.
Mitigation efforts were detailed in the report, including Wiehl’s engagement with Lawyers Helping Lawyers (LHL), attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, and psychotherapy sessions. Further, Wiehl disclosed his history of mental health issues, which included a previous diagnosis of PTSD, and the subsequent challenges he faced. He also provided information on his prescribed medications and medical marijuana use.
The filing states:
“He finished his senior year, graduated, and moved back to his parent’s home in New York. Wiehl then sought therapy for his heightened depression and anxiety. His therapist diagnosed Wiehl with PTSD due to the trauma of witnessing the destruction and loss of life from the tornadoes.”
This summary disciplinary proceeding underscored the importance of assessing an attorney’s continued fitness to practice law, with a focus on safeguarding the interests of the public, the courts, and the legal profession. The Court found the record sufficient for review and applied Rule 7.1 of the Rules Governing Disciplinary Proceedings in its decision.
According to avvo.com, Mr. Wiehl is a personal injury attorney in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He attended the University of Tulsa College of Law, graduating in 2015. He acquired his law license in Oklahoma in 2016.
A copy of the original filing can be found here.
