Wyoming Supreme Court Decisions
The Wyoming Supreme Court supervises the operations of lower courts in the state, and it holds general jurisdiction to review appeals in both civil and criminal cases. It may issue any writs that may be necessary to fulfill its appellate function, such as writs of habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, and certiorari. Its original jurisdiction extends only to habeas corpus cases and certain cases involving mandamus and quo warranto writs as applied to state officers. Five justices serve on the Supreme Court, and they serve terms of eight years.
To qualify to serve on the Wyoming Supreme Court, a candidate must meet the requirements in Article 5 of the Wyoming Constitution. This means that they must be a U.S. citizen and must have been a Wyoming resident for at least three years. A candidate may not be younger than 30, and Wyoming imposes a mandatory retirement age of 70. A candidate must have at least nine years of legal experience.
While Wyoming initially elected justices to the Supreme Court, the state changed the selection process to an assisted appointment method in 1972. This means that the Wyoming Judicial Nominating Commission controls the process. The Commission usually consists of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, three active members of the Wyoming State Bar, and three non-attorneys who are appointed by the Governor of Wyoming. Once a justice has been selected, they will need to win a retention election every eight years to stay on the Court. The justices of the Court select the Chief Justice, who holds that position for four years.
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Recent Decisions From the Wyoming Supreme Court
Date: March 13, 2024
Citation: 2024 WY 28
Docket Number: S-23-0231
Justia Opinion Summary: The case involves a mother appealing against a juvenile court's ruling that she neglected her infant son, AE. The infant was born prematurely and consistently underweight. Despite numerous hospitalizations and health…
Date: March 8, 2024
Citation: 2024 WY 27
Docket Number: S-23-0214
Date: March 6, 2024
Citation: 2024 WY 26
Docket Number: s-23-0289
Date: March 4, 2024
Citation: 2024 WY 25
Docket Numbers: S-23-0173, S-23-0172
Justia Opinion Summary: In the Supreme Court of Wyoming, a case involving minor children was brought forward by their parents, MK and JP-W, against the State of Wyoming. The parents challenged the juvenile court's decision to change the…
Date: March 1, 2024
Citation: 2024 WY 24
Docket Number: S-23-0220
Date: February 28, 2024
Citation: 2024 WY 23
Docket Number: S-23-0149
Justia Opinion Summary: In Wyoming, Jerry Peterson brought a case against the Laramie City Council, alleging that the council violated the Wyoming Public Meetings Act by holding its meetings remotely during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.…
Date: February 27, 2024
Citation: 2024 WY 22
Docket Number: S-23-0209
Justia Opinion Summary: In the State of Wyoming, Jonathon Tyson Blair, representing himself, appealed the denial of his motion for sentence reduction by the District Court of Sweetwater County. Blair had been sentenced to a term of eight to ten…
Date: February 21, 2024
Citation: 2024 WY 21
Docket Number: S-23-0242
Date: February 14, 2024
Citation: 2024 WY 20
Docket Number: S-23-0153
Justia Opinion Summary: The case revolves around the defendant, Daniel A. Chace, who appealed the denial of his motion to suppress evidence obtained through a search warrant executed after 10:00 p.m. The incident began when law enforcement…
Date: February 8, 2024
Citation: 2024 WY 19
Docket Number: S-23-0126
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of Wyoming reversed a lower court's decision, finding that David Spurlock's lawsuit to remove the Wyoming Trust Company as the trustee of the C.E. Spurlock Revocable Trust did not trigger the trust's…
Date: February 8, 2024
Citation: 2024 WY 18
Docket Number: S-23-0133
Justia Opinion Summary: In the Supreme Court of Wyoming, an appeal by Ronald Pinther, a former insurance agent, was dismissed. Pinther had worked for American National Property and Casualty Insurance Company (ANPAC) and American National…
Date: February 2, 2024
Citation: 2024 WY 17
Docket Numbers: S-23-0116, S-22-0229
Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court of Wyoming upheld the conviction of Charles Anthony "Tony" Santistevan for multiple counts of sexual assault and one count of voyeurism. The court found that the district court did not abuse its…
Date: February 2, 2024
Citation: 2024 WY 16
Docket Number: S-23-0196
Justia Opinion Summary: In the case before the Supreme Court of Wyoming, State Representatives Rachel Rodriguez-Williams and Chip Neiman, and Right to Life of Wyoming, Inc., attempted to intervene in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality…
Date: February 1, 2024
Citation: 2024 WY 15
Docket Number: S-23-0147
Justia Opinion Summary: In this case, the appellant, Bjay Nagel, who was employed as a caretaker by Sand Creek Country Club, broke his ankle while working. He had been drinking alcohol prior to the accident. The Wyoming Department of Workforce…
Date: February 1, 2024
Citation: 2024 WY 14
Docket Number: S-23-0249
Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.
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