Sept. 14, 2026 noon; Updated 12:30p; Updated at 2:25 with Delgado's statement and additional details; Updated at 2:50p with comment from governor's office
(WGTD)---The law license of Kenosha County District Attorney Xavier Solis has been suspended.
According to a memo from the Office of Lawyer Regulation, Solis' license was suspended for "willfully failing to cooperate with one or more OLR investigations into alleged misconduct."
The memo was issued Monday and the suspension is effective immediately.
Governor Evers' office said at mid-afternoon that it learned of the suspension through news reports. "We’re not aware that we have received any formal communication from the Office of Lawyer Regulation regarding this situation at this time, but we plan to reach out to get additional information to determine what steps the governor may be able to take next, if any," a statement read in response to a WGTD email seeking comment. The governor has the power to remove elected district attorneys.
The office's deputy--Rosa Delgado--is serving as acting district attorney. Here is her email in its entirety: "On the morning of Monday, September 14, 2026, the Supreme Court of Wisconsin suspended the law license of Kenosha County District Attorney Xavier Solis. Administrative staff of the Kenosha County District Attorney’s Office and I will continue to oversee the day-to-day operations of the office. We have reached out to the State for direction. I will take over management and / or reassignment of District Attorney Solis’ caseload until such time as District Attorney Solis’ license to practice law is reinstated or, until further direction is received from the Governor’s Office. At this time, no other information is available."
Solis--a criminal defense attorney with no prosecutorial experience--was elected DA in Nov. of 2024. Almost immediately, a raft of experienced prosecutors left the office after having endorsed Solis' opponent in the election.
For most of Solis' tenure, the number of attorneys in the office hovered around a dozen--about half of the office's authorized strength.
He's also been beset with a number of controversies, including a sanction that involved the submission of a brief produced by artificial intelligence without acknowledging the AI content.
According to state statutes, the office's deputy can take over the duties of the district attorney. Delgado, one of the few experienced attorneys that did not leave after Solis became DA, has been with the office for nearly 25 years.
The OLR memo announcing Solis' suspension was addressed to all state and federal judges in Wisconsin, the Public Defender's Office, the State Bar, the Executive Office for Immigration Review and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Solis' employment status with the state is unclear, since the job requires a law license. A spokesman for the OLR said whether Solis remains in his position is a separate legal matter that does not fall under the responsibility of the agency.
Prosecutors in Wisconsin are paid by the state. A request has been made to the state Department of Administration for information on Solis' employment status.
The OLR spokesman said the office would have no further comment today.
Solis has not returned an email seeking comment.
The suspension appeared to catch the courthouse off guard. "Nobody knows nothing," said an experienced defense attorney early Monday afternoon.
According to the court calendar, Solis was to have staffed Intake Court which convenes every weekday at 1. In his place were two assistant prosecutors.
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