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State justices on Tuesday publicly reprimanded a Milwaukee criminal defense attorney who had sexual relations with a client he later married.
Mark Ruppelt represented "T.W." as a victim and as a plaintiff in a lawsuit against Jason Crary, a teacher who sexually assaulted the client at Heritage Christian School, according to the court's per curiam decision. The victim hired Ruppelt in 2007.
In 2009, while the criminal and civil cases were pending, the pair began a sexual relationship. At the time, Ruppelt was a partner with James Gatzke at Gatzke & Ruppelt SC, Waukesha. When other attorneys at the firm found out about the situation, according to the court's decision, Ruppelt lied and told them he no longer communicated...