Wyoming Supreme Court Decisions 2020

Stroble v. State  
Date: December 31, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 158
Docket Number: S-20-0128

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court revoking Defendant's probation, holding that the State presented sufficient evidence to prove that Defendant violated the terms of his probation, and the…

In re Adoption of MAJB  
Date: December 28, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 157
Docket Number: S-20-0120

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the district court dismissing Petitioners' verified petition for adoption requesting that the court enter an order of adoption recognizing MB's medically established age and…

Grant Wood Rehor, Jr. v. The State of Wyoming
Date: December 23, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 156
Docket Number: S-20-0139
Miller v. Life Care Centers of America, Inc.  
Date: December 18, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 155
Docket Number: S-20-0076

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the district court granting Defendant's motion to compel arbitration under the "voluntary agreement for arbitration" Rick Miller signed on behalf of his mother, Julia Miller,…

Armajo v. State  
Date: December 18, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 153
Docket Number: S-20-0088

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction of second degree sexual abuse of a minor, holding that the district court did not err in denying Defendant's motion for judgment of acquittal, the evidence was sufficient…

Fuger v. Wagoner  
Date: December 18, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 154
Docket Numbers: S-20-0100, S-20-0099

Justia Opinion Summary: In this property dispute, the Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the district court finding largely in favor of Larry Wagoner, holding that the oral contract between the parties in this case was void. Donald Fuger…

Pryce v. State  
Date: December 16, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 151
Docket Number: S-20-0055

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction of two controlled substance charges, holding that the district court did not err in denying Defendant's motion to suppress evidence found during a search of the rental…

Hightower v. State  
Date: December 16, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 152
Docket Number: S-20-0060

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed Defendant's conviction of aggravated homicide by a vehicle under Wyo. Stat. Ann. 6-2-106(b)(ii), holding that the district court erred in denying Defendant's motion for judgment of acquittal…

Gutierrez v. State  
Date: December 16, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 150
Docket Number: S-20-0084

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction of conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance and delivery of a controlled substance, holding that the State's introduced of unnoticed Wyo. R. Evid. 404(b) evidence and…

Beppler v. Uinta County School District Number One  
Date: December 16, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 149
Docket Number: S-20-0140

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court remanded this case to the district court for dismissal of all but its order invalidating Rule CKA, a rule adopted by the Unita County School District Number One permitting school personnel to carry…

Corrigan v. Vig  
Date: December 9, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 148
Docket Numbers: S-20-0123, S-20-0122

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court summarily affirmed the judgments of the district court in favor of Plaintiff on his two complaints seeking to be declared the sole owner of certain real properties and to invalidate certain documents in…

Cox v. State  
Date: December 7, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 147
Docket Number: S-20-0102

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction of one count of sexual abuse of a minor in the second degree, holding that the admission of Wyo. R. Evid. 404(b) evidence was not prejudicial error. On appeal, Defendant…

Denbury Onshore, LLC v. APMTG Helium LLC  
Date: December 4, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 146
Docket Number: S-19-0172

Justia Opinion Summary: In this breach of contract action, the Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court awarding APMTG over $35 million in damages and interest, holding that the district court did not err. Denbury Onshore, LLC…

Austin Douglas Baker v. The State of Wyoming
Date: December 2, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 145
Docket Number: S-20-0177
Wageman v. Harrell  
Date: November 25, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 143
Docket Number: S-20-0067

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court entered on the jury's verdict finding Defendant not negligent, holding that there was sufficient evidence to support the jury verdict. Following a car…

Russell George Mackie v. The State of Wyoming
Date: November 25, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 144
Docket Number: S-20-0179
Mitchell v. State  
Date: November 23, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 142
Docket Number: S-20-0086

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's convictions, holding that Defendant failed to prove that the district court abused its discretion in its evidentiary rulings and challenged jury instructions and failed to prove the…

Marquis v. Marquis  
Date: November 20, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 141
Docket Number: S-20-0046

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the district court modifying the child support Father paid to Mother for the benefit of the parties' three minor children, holding that the district court did not abuse its…

Board of Professional Responsibility, Wyoming State Bar v. Clay B. Jenkins, WSB #5-2249
Date: November 6, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 139
Docket Number: D-20-0005
Board of Professional Responsibility, Wyoming State Bar v. Collin C. Hopkins, WSB # 6-4032
Date: November 6, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 137
Docket Number: D-20-0007
Candelaria v. Karandikar  
Date: November 6, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 140
Docket Number: S-20-0066

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court finding that Plaintiff's complaint against Defendant, a surgeon, alleging that he negligently treated Plaintiff's spinal condition, was barred by the statute…

Arlis Jacob Draves, Jr. v. The State of Wyoming
Date: November 6, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 138
Docket Number: S-20-0141
Crebs v. State  
Date: October 28, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 136
Docket Number: S-20-0059

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction of felony theft, holding that Defendant was not denied his constitutional right to a speedy trial. On October 2, 2017, Defendant was arrested for the theft of a vehicle.…

Langley v. State  
Date: October 23, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 135
Docket Number: S-20-0034

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction of attempted aggravated robbery, holding that the district court did not commit judicial misconduct or deprive Defendant of a fair trial by commenting on the foundation…

Bextel v. Fork Road LLC  
Date: October 19, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 134
Docket Number: S-19-0286

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court dismissing Plaintiffs' complaint under Wyo. R. Civ. P. 12(b)(6) and (c), holding that the district court did not err. Plaintiffs sued Defendants asserting…

Putnam v. State  
Date: October 16, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 133
Docket Number: S-20-0027

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction of two counts of aggravated felony child abuse, holding that the district court did not err in admitting Wyo. R. Evid. 404(b) evidence from misconduct that was originally…

Simmons v. State  
Date: October 15, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 132
Docket Number: S-20-0083

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction of possession of methamphetamine, possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, and conspiracy to deliver methamphetamine, holding that the district court did not…

Mitchell v. State  
Date: October 7, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 131
Docket Number: S-20-0057

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the district court denying Steven Mitchell's motion for a sentence reduction as untimely, holding that the district court erred in denying Mitchell's motion as…

Pilcher v. Elliott  
Date: October 6, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 130
Docket Number: S-19-0285

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the district court's denial of a motion to set aside default judgment against it after it failed to answer a writ of garnishment, holding that, despite certain procedural infirmities, the…

Trae Derik Smith v. The State of Wyoming
Date: September 30, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 128
Docket Number: S-20-0062
Paul Wallace Hall v. The State of Wyoming
Date: September 30, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 129
Docket Number: S-20-0137
Tata Chemicals Soda Ash Partners, Ltd v. Vinson  
Date: September 28, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 126
Docket Number: S-19-0086

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court remanded this case to the district court with instructions to determine whether excusable neglect extended Plaintiff's time to file the petition for review of the decision of the Office of…

Fisher v. Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality  
Date: September 28, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 127
Docket Numbers: S-20-0017, S-20-0016

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court dismissed this appeal from the decision of the district court reversing the decision of the director of the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (WDEQ) and the Environmental Quality Council (EQC)…

Mantle v. North Star Energy & Construction LLC  
Date: September 25, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 125
Docket Number: S-20-0019

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the district court using a judgment against Alexander Mantle to set off judgments Alexander and Majorie Mantle had against Ray and Gary Garland and failing to recognize the…

Varela v. Goshen County Fairgrounds  
Date: September 24, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 124
Docket Number: S-20-0024

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the district court granting Goshen County Fairgrounds summary judgment on its assertion of governmental immunity and dismissing Plaintiff's negligence action, holding that…

Brown v. Jerding  
Date: September 23, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 123
Docket Number: S-20-0032

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the district court granting Mother's Wyo. R. Civ. P. 59 motion to alter or amend the judgment requiring that the parties' child name not be changed after the court previously…

Davis v. State  
Date: September 18, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 122
Docket Number: S-20-0020

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court sentencing Defendant, after a remand, to an aggregate sentence of twelve to fifty years for aggravated robbery, to be served consecutively to a previously…

Niland v. State, ex rel. Department of Family Services  
Date: September 17, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 121
Docket Number: S-20-0030

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the district court terminating Appellant's parental rights, holding that the district court violated Appellant's due process rights when it determined the best interests of the…

Jenkins v. Jenkins  
Date: September 14, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 120
Docket Number: S-20-0037

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed in part the judgment of the district court finding Bradley Jenkins in contempt for failing to follow the terms of its stipulated divorce decree and remanded for the district court to clarify…

Dockter v. Lozano  
Date: September 11, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 119
Docket Number: S-20-0028

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the decision of the district court dismissing with prejudice Plaintiff's legal malpractice suit against the Office of the State Public Defender, the State Public Defender, and the individual…

Woods v. State  
Date: September 10, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 118
Docket Number: S-19-0279

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court dismissed Defendant's appeal from the district court's dismissal of his pro se "Petition for Exoneration Based on Factual Innocence," holding that Defendant did not properly invoke the Supreme Court's…

TE v. State, Department of Family Services  
Date: September 10, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 117
Docket Number: S-20-0006

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the decision of the district court denying TE's petition to establish paternity of AE on the grounds that TE had not timely filed his petition and remanded for an order adjudicating TE as AE's…

Jackson v. Montoya  
Date: September 4, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 116
Docket Number: S-20-0008

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the district court concluding that the Successor Trustee of The Phillip G. Jackson Family Revocable Trust lacked authority to sell real property held by the Trust for the care,…

Johnson County Ranch Improvement #1, LLC v. Goddard  
Date: September 1, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 115
Docket Number: S-19-0251

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed in part the district court's final judgment incorporating the jury's special verdict in favor of the Goddards and rendering judgment in favor of Sand Creek Ranch Preservation Association, Inc.…

Gas Sensing Technology Corp. v. New Horizon Ventures Pty Ltd  
Date: August 27, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 114
Docket Number: S-19-0277

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the district court dismissing a corporation's (the Corporation) counterclaims after it was sued by two trusts (the Trusts), holding that the district court erred by dismissing…

S&T Bank v. Groskop  
Date: August 26, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 113
Docket Numbers: S-19-0255, S-19-0254

Justia Opinion Summary: In this complaint brought by Black Diamond Energy and Black Diamond Energy of Delaware (together, the BDE Companies) and seventeen limited partnerships (the Limited Partnerships) the Supreme Court affirmed the judgment…

Webb v. State, ex rel. Department of Family Services, Child Support Enforcement Division  
Date: August 26, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 111
Docket Number: S-20-0031

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the district court denying Clint Webb's motion to modify a child support order, holding that the district court did not abuse its discretion. Pursuant to a divorce decree, the…

Dewayne Ray Farthing v. The State of Wyoming
Date: August 26, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 112
Docket Number: S-20-0101
Lewis v. State  
Date: August 25, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 110
Docket Numbers: S-20-0025, S-18-0258

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction of aggravated assault and battery and mandatory life sentence, holding that the district court did not err in denying Defendant's motion for a new trial based on…

Uden v. State  
Date: August 25, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 109
Docket Number: S-20-0054

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court dismissed Petitioner's appeal from an order of the district court dismissing Petitioner's petition seeking exoneration under the Post-Conviction Determination of Factual Innocence Act, Wyo. Stat. Ann.…

Rick Allen Bennefield v. The State of Wyoming
Date: August 19, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 108
Docket Number: S-20-0045
Samuel Cole Foster v. The State of Wyoming
Date: August 19, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 107
Docket Number: S-20-0091
Smith v. B&G Royalties  
Date: August 18, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 106
Docket Number: S-19-0267

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the district court's grant of summary judgment and issuing a declaratory judgment and judgment quieting title to real property in favor of Defendants after concluding that Plaintiffs'…

Lubing v. Tomlinson  
Date: August 10, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 105
Docket Numbers: S-19-0068, S-19-0067

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court finding in favor of Defendant, an anesthesiologist, on Plaintiff's medical negligence claim, holding that the district court did not abuse its discretion when…

Carabajal v. State  
Date: August 10, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 104
Docket Number: S-19-0284

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the district court granting the State's motion to dismiss the charges against Defendant without prejudice, holding that the court abused its discretion in granting the State's…

Grater v. State  
Date: August 6, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 102
Docket Number: S-19-0239

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction and sentence for felony possession of marijuana, holding that Defendant was not prejudiced by the State's breach, if any, of the written plea agreement. In exchange for…

Goswick v. Goswick  
Date: August 6, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 103
Docket Number: S-20-0014

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court granting Wife a divorce after she defaulted on Husband's counterclaim that he was the aggrieved party, holding that, under the circumstances, the court did…

Shields v. State  
Date: August 3, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 101
Docket Numbers: S-19-0269, S-19-0007

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction and sentence for one count of sexual abuse of a minor in the second degree and one count of child endangerment, holding that the district court did not abuse its…

McDill v. McDill  
Date: July 29, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 99
Docket Number: S-19-0231

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court dismissed this appeal from the district court's grant of summary judgment to Appellee, holding that because the district court's order granting summary judgment did not resolve all outstanding issues…

Edward J. Runyon v. The State of Wyoming
Date: July 29, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 100
Docket Number: S-20-0106
HB Family Limited Partnership v. Teton County Board of County Commissioners  
Date: July 28, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 98
Docket Number: S-19-0208

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the Teton County Board of County Commissioners approving an application by the Teton Raptor Center for an amended conditional use permit (CUP) to expand the use of its property,…

Blanchard v. State  
Date: July 28, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 97
Docket Number: S-19-0272

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction of first degree sexual assault and incest for acts committed against KW, his eighteen-year-old stepdaughter, holding that the district court's error admitting evidence of…

Loeffel v. Dash  
Date: July 27, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 96
Docket Number: S-19-0244

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court against Plaintiff on her negligent credentialing claim against the Board of Trustees of the Memorial Hospital of Carbon County (the Hospital), holding that…

EOG Resources, Inc. v. Floyd C. Reno & Sons, Inc.  
Date: July 23, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 95
Docket Number: S-20-0013

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court dismissing EOG Resources, Inc.'s complaint under the Wyoming Eminent Domain Act seeking to condemn a seventy-acre pipeline easement on the grounds that EOG…

Plaintiff v. Defendant  
Date: July 20, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 94
Docket Number: S-19-0270

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed in part and affirmed in part the district court's order finding Mother in contempt, holding that the district court abused its discretion in holding Mother in contempt for violations that had…

Board of Professional Responsibility, Wyoming State Bar v. Michael J. Pearce, WSB # 7-4838
Date: July 15, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 91
Docket Number: D-20-0002
Kerbs v. Kerbs  
Date: July 15, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 92
Docket Number: S-19-0266

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court denying as untimely Kathleen Kerbs' motion to intervene in an action brought by her husband, Scott Kerbs, against Carl, Kip, and Nadene Kerbs for dissolution…

Vinson v. State  
Date: July 15, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 93
Docket Number: S-19-0273

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction of aggravated assault and battery, holding that Defendant was not prejudiced by the admission of Wyo. R. Evid. 404(b) evidence without the required analysis under Gleason…

Gerber v. State ex rel., Department of Workforce Services  
Date: July 13, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 90
Docket Number: S-19-0225

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the Department of Workforce Services, Unemployment Insurance Commission denying Jesse Gerber unemployment benefits, holding that the Commission correctly determined that Gerber…

Fox v. State  
Date: July 10, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 88
Docket Number: S-19-0237

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction of three counts of felony theft stemming from her use of two credit cards to purchase personal items and services, holding that sufficient evidence supported the…

Nelson v. State  
Date: July 10, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 89
Docket Number: S-19-0259

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction of one count of first degree sexual abuse of a minor, holding that the district court did not err in allowing the State to withdraw from its plea agreement with Defendant…

Shane N. Golston v. The State of Wyoming
Date: July 1, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 87
Docket Number: S-20-0065
Hudson v. State  
Date: June 25, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 86
Docket Number: S-19-0274

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the district court's order of restitution awarding restitution to three victims, including Jerry Goodman, a victim whose insurance paid for the property destroyed by Defendant, holding that the…

Board of Professional Responsibility, Wyoming State Bar v. John C. Hoard, WSB # 5-2000
Date: June 24, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 83
Docket Number: D-20-0003
Board of Professional Responsibility, Wyoming State Bar v. Todd H. Hambrick, WSB #6-2672
Date: June 24, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 84
Docket Number: D-20-0004
Morones v. State  
Date: June 24, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 85
Docket Number: S-19-0278

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction of strangulation of a household member and driving while under the influence, holding that the district court did not err in admitting a nurse's testimony under the…

Kenneth James Ward v. The State of Wyoming
Date: June 24, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 81
Docket Number: S-20-0004
John A.K. Niau v. The State of Wyoming
Date: June 24, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 82
Docket Number: S-20-0018
Tarter v. Tarter  
Date: June 23, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 80
Docket Number: S-19-0258

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the district court's order denying Cheryl Tarter's motions to amend or set aside the default divorce decree entered against her, holding that the default decree was void for failure of service…

Ramirez v. Brown  
Date: June 19, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 79
Docket Number: S-19-0219

Justia Opinion Summary: In this personal injury action brought pursuant to the Workers' Compensation Act the Supreme Court affirmed in part and reversed in part the order of the district court granting summary judgment in favor of one of…

Fleet v. Guyette  
Date: June 19, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 78
Docket Number: S-19-0236

Justia Opinion Summary: In this custody dispute, the Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the district court declining jurisdiction over the issue of child custody and ceding jurisdiction to a California court, the state where Mother and the…

Begley v. Begley  
Date: June 18, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 77
Docket Number: S-19-0247

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court granting Husband's motion seeking an order compelling Wife to sign a joint return for their 2013 federal income tax and pay half of the tax, holding that the…

Wanberg v. State  
Date: June 15, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 75
Docket Number: S-19-0199

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court remanded this matter to the district court for correction of its written sentencing order, holding that the district court's written sentence differed from its oral pronouncement, requiring a…

Tamblyn v. State  
Date: June 15, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 76
Docket Number: S-19-0212

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction of second-degree sexual abuse of a minor, third-degree sexual abuse of a minor, and incest, holding that the district court did not abuse its discretion in finding the…

H&P Advisory Ltd. v. Randgold Resources Ltd.  
Date: June 12, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 74
Docket Number: S-19-0250

Justia Opinion Summary: In this contract dispute, the Supreme Court affirmed the order of the district court dismissing H&P Advisory Limited's complaint against Randgold Resources, Limited and Barrick Gold Corporation for lack of personal…

Fairbourn v. State  
Date: June 11, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 73
Docket Numbers: S-19-0217, S-18-0259

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's convictions for murder in the first degree and attempted murder in the first degree, holding that Defendant was not denied his right to a speedy trial or his right to a fair trial…

Craft v. State ex rel. Wyo. Department of Health  
Date: June 10, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 70
Docket Number: S-19-0191

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the district court dismissing Plaintiffs' lawsuit against the Wyoming State Hospital and its staff for medical malpractice, negligence, and wrongful death, holding that…

MH v. First Judicial District Court of Laramie County  
Date: June 10, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 72
Docket Number: S-19-0256

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the district court denying for lack of subject matter jurisdiction Petitioner's petition for an order recognizing her change of sex and gender so that she could amend her birth…

Tina J. Spencer A/K/A Tina J. Goble v. The State of Wyoming
Date: June 10, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 71
Docket Number: S-20-0051
McMillan v. State, ex rel. Department of Workforce Services, Workers' Compensation Division  
Date: June 5, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 68
Docket Number: S-19-0218

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the Medical Commission upholding that decision of the Wyoming Workers' Safety and Compensation Division denying workers' compensation benefits because Appellant failed to…

Jackson Hole Land Trust v. Douglas  
Date: June 5, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 69
Docket Numbers: S-19-0262, S-19-0261

Justia Opinion Summary: In this dispute over an accessway traversing Patricia Douglas' property the Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the district court holding that the accessway was a driveway subject to a conservation easement's…

Anesthesiology Consultants of Cheyenne, LLC v. Stevens  
Date: June 2, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 67
Docket Number: S-19-0210

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the jury's verdict in favor of Dr. Ronald E. Stevens on Anesthesiology Consultants of Cheyenne, LLC's (ACC) claims for brach of fiduciary duties, breach of the covenant of good faith and fair…

Pickering v. State  
Date: May 29, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 66
Docket Numbers: S-19-0151, S-18-0222

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's convictions on three counts of second-degree attempted murder, thirteen counts of aggravated assault and battery, and one count of interference with a peace officer, holding that…

Black v. State  
Date: May 28, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 65
Docket Number: S-19-0153

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed Defendant's convictions of one count of conspiracy to deliver a controlled substance and four counts of delivery of a controlled substance based on transactions with a confidential informant,…

Kidd v. Jacobsen  
Date: May 22, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 64
Docket Number: S-19-0216

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court awarding primary custody of the parties' children to Father and granting Mother visitation, holding that the district court did not abuse its discretion by…

Scranton v. Woodhouse  
Date: May 21, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 63
Docket Number: S-19-0243

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the district court granting summary judgment for Defendants, an attorney and her law firm, in Plaintiff's legal malpractice action, holding that the district court properly…

Ian Sean Woodis v. The State of Wyoming
Date: May 20, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 62
Docket Number: S-20-0033
State v. Newton  
Date: May 15, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 61
Docket Number: S-19-0240

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the court of appeals affirming Defendant's conviction of aggravated sexual assault and aggravated assault, holding that Defendant was not prejudiced by any alleged error in the…

Kern v. State  
Date: May 14, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 60
Docket Number: S-19-0242

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court convicting Defendant of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, holding that the district court did not err in denying Defendant's motion to…

Dahl v. State  
Date: May 11, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 59
Docket Number: S-19-0204

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's convictions for child abuse and lawful entry into an occupied structure, holding that Defendant waived his claim that the charge of unlawful entry did not state a criminal offense…

Gayhart v. Corsi  
Date: May 6, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 58
Docket Number: S-19-0186

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court concluding that Tiphany L. Gayhart, trustee of the Tiphany L. Gayhart Living Trust, did not have an easement over Teala Drive, a private road in a…

Life Care Center of Casper v. Barrett  
Date: May 5, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 57
Docket Numbers: S-19-0227, S-19-0211

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court vacated the order of the district court holding Life Care Center of Casper in contempt when it failed to comply with an order compelling it to respond to a subpoena served on it in an action for…

CIBC National Trust Co. v. Dominick  
Date: May 4, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 56
Docket Number: S-19-0157

Justia Opinion Summary: In this real property dispute, the Supreme Court dismissed Appellant's appeal from the district court's partial summary judgment order, holding that the district court abused its discretion when it certified its partial…

Board of Professional Responsibility, Wyoming State Bar v. Ronald G. Pretty, WSB # 5-1466
Date: April 29, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 55
Docket Number: D-20-0001
Thomas Joseph Roeber v. The State of Wyoming
Date: April 29, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 54
Docket Number: S-19-0253
Ismael Ruiz v. The State of Wyoming
Date: April 29, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 53
Docket Number: S-20-0007
Kimzey v. Kimzey  
Date: April 22, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 52
Docket Number: S-19-0194

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed in part and reversed in part the judgment of the district court increasing Father's child support obligation, denying Father's petition to modify custody, and refusing to modify visitation,…

Foltz v. Oblasser  
Date: April 20, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 51
Docket Number: S-19-0234

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court dismissing Plaintiff's complaint against an attorney and his law firm (collectively, Defendants) seeking return of a retainer Plaintiff paid the attorney to…

Wiley v. State  
Date: April 15, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 49
Docket Number: S-19-0174

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the 1992 sentence imposed on Defendant for crimes Defendant committed when he was fifteen years old, holding that Defendant's sentence was not a de facto life sentence entitling him to an…

Clark v. State, Department of Family Services  
Date: April 15, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 50
Docket Number: S-19-0181

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the district court terminating Father's parental rights to two of his children, holding that the district court did not err in admitting evidence relating to the children's mother…

State v. John  
Date: April 6, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 46
Docket Number: S-19-0046

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court granting Defendant's motion to dismiss the State's case against him, holding that the district court applied the incorrect burden and standard when…

Springstead v. State  
Date: April 6, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 47
Docket Number: S-19-0201

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court imposing the maximum sentence of four and one-half to five years in connection with Defendant's plea of guilty to failure to register as a sex offender,…

Black Diamond Energy of Delaware Inc. v. Wyoming Oil & Gas Conservation Commission  
Date: April 2, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 45
Docket Number: S-19-0018

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court dismissing two lawsuits brought by Black Diamond Energy of Delaware, Inc. (BDED) in an attempt to challenge the forfeiture of its bonds by the Wyoming Oil and…

Lozano v. Circuit Court of Sixth Judicial District  
Date: April 1, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 44
Docket Number: S-19-0121

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the Circuit Court of the Sixth Judicial District holding State Public Defender Diane Lozano in contempt, holding that the circuit court erred in ruling that the public defender…

Harrison v. State  
Date: March 25, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 43
Docket Number: S-19-0229

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court summarily affirmed the order of the district court denying Defendant's motion to enforce his claimed plea agreement, which the court treated as a Wyo. R. Crim. P. 35(a) motion, holding that Defendant's…

Board of Trustees of Laramie County v. Board of County Commissioners of Laramie County  
Date: March 24, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 41
Docket Number: S-19-0192

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the district court concluding that the Board of County Commissioners of Laramie County had authority to dissolve the Laramie County Fair Board of Trustees, holding that the…

Malli v. Malli  
Date: March 24, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 42
Docket Number: S-19-0198

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court entering a divorce decree in which it awarded a 160-acre parcel of land to Wife and required Husband to satisfy any unpaid property taxes, holding that the…

Hartley v. State  
Date: March 23, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 40
Docket Number: S-19-0206

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction of first-degree felony murder and aggravated child abuse but remanded to correct a sentencing error, holding that the district court did not err in denying Defendant's…

Davis v. Harmony Development, LLC  
Date: March 20, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 39
Docket Number: S-19-0119

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court finding that Buyer had breached a contract for the sale of a lot in a subdivision and ordering Buyer to specifically perform, holding that the district court…

Ecocards v. Tekstir, Inc.  
Date: March 18, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 38
Docket Number: S-19-0190

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court granting Defendant's motion to dismiss Plaintiff's action claiming that Defendant failed to perform under a website development agreement, holding that the…

Ferch v. State  
Date: March 12, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 37
Docket Number: S-19-0163

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court denying Defendant's motion to suppress evidence seized from his home, holding that the district court did not err when it concluded that the warrantless…

Olson v. Schriner  
Date: March 11, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 36
Docket Number: S-19-0160

Justia Opinion Summary: In this dispute arising from Father's claim that Mother failed to reimburse him for the parties' child's medical costs the Supreme Court affirmed the district court's judgment denying Mother's motion to set aside the…

Edwards v. Edwards  
Date: March 9, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 35
Docket Number: S-19-0144

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed in part and reversed in part the district court's divorce decree, holding that the court did not abuse its discretion in determining child support and dividing marital property but did err by…

Black v. State  
Date: March 6, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 34
Docket Number: S-19-0118

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court convicting Defendant of intimidating and influencing a witness in violation of Wyo. Stat. Ann. 6-5-305(a), holding that Defendant did not show that the…

Garza v. State  
Date: March 4, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 32
Docket Number: S-19-0108

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction of misdemeanor interference with a peace officer, holding that Defendant's actions were sufficient to constitute interference with a peace officer and that the circuit…

Lower v. Peabody Powder River Services, LLC  
Date: March 4, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 33
Docket Number: S-19-0142

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the district court upholding the decision oft he Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) denying workers' compensation benefits to Appellant, holding that a previous order by…

LaJeunesse v. State  
Date: March 3, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 29
Docket Number: S-19-0024

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court convicting Defendant of two counts of sexual intrusion on a victim under Wyo. Stat. Ann. 6-2-314(a)(i), holding that the district court did not err when it…

Hulme v. O'Hare  
Date: March 3, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 31
Docket Numbers: S-19-0094, S-19-0093

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed in part the judgment of the district court granting summary judgment in favor of Plaintiff on his adverse possession claim and in favor of Defendant on Plaintiff's prescriptive easement and…

Miller v. State  
Date: March 3, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 30
Docket Number: S-19-0143

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the district court forfeiting $470,040 in United States currency seized from Robert Miller to the State under the Wyoming Controlled Substances Act, Wyo. Stat. Ann. 35-7-1001 to…

Devon Energy Production, LP v. Grayson Mill Operating, LLC  
Date: February 27, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 28
Docket Number: S-19-0170

Justia Opinion Summary: In this case concerning a "race to permit" dispute between the parties in this case, both of whom held mineral interests in certain drilling and spacing units and both of whom wanted to be the "operator" of those units,…

In re Interest of Bass  
Date: February 26, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 27
Docket Number: S-19-0221

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court dismissing without prejudice Grandmother's petition seeking temporary guardianship of Grandchild for failure to prosecute, holding that the district court did…

Shipley v. Smith  
Date: February 25, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 26
Docket Number: S-19-0205

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the district court establishing paternity, custody, visitation and child support, holding that the district court did not abuse its discretion in any aspects of its child support…

Walsh v. Smith  
Date: February 24, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 25
Docket Number: S-19-0141

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the district court modifying visitation and child support after Mother moved to Idaho, holding that the district court did not abuse its discretion. After Mother moved to Idaho…

Four B Properties, LLC v. Nature Conservancy  
Date: February 21, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 24
Docket Number: S-19-0085

Justia Opinion Summary: In property dispute, the Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court entering summary judgment in favor of The Nature Conservancy finding a conservation easement unambiguously burdened two parcels of…

CML v. ADBL  
Date: February 20, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 23
Docket Number: S-19-0139

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the district court denying a petition filed by Father and Stepmother for adoption of Father and Mother's two minor children pursuant to Wyo. Stat. Ann. 1-22-110(a)(ix), holding…

Eisele v. Town of Pine Bluffs  
Date: February 19, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 22
Docket Number: S-19-0037

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the decision of the district court reversing the decision of the State Board of Equalization affirming the ruling of the County Board of Equalization against the Town of Pine Bluffs in its…

Huckins v. State  
Date: February 19, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 21
Docket Number: S-19-0137

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court convicting Defendant of felony possession of marijuana, holding that the State's trial evidence was sufficient to establish that Defendant possessed the…

Lantz-Boggio Architects, P.C. v. Campbell County Hospital District
Date: February 13, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 20
Docket Number: S-19-0209
Johnson v. Johnson  
Date: February 12, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 18
Docket Number: S-19-0120

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed in part and reversed in part the district court's decree of divorce and order awarding custody and dividing property and debts between Father and Mother, holding that the district court did not…

Johnson v. State ex rel., Wyoming Department of Transportation  
Date: February 12, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 19
Docket Number: S-19-0169

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court dismissing Appellant's declaratory judgment action arguing that the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH), and therefore the district court on appeal, did…

JEG v. BCB  
Date: February 11, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 17
Docket Number: S-19-0104

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the district court denying the petition filed by Mother and Stepfather to adopt the minor child, ZEM, over the objection of the child's father, holding that the district court…

The Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee, Wyoming State Bar v. Clyde W. Stock
Date: February 5, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 16
Docket Number: D-19-0005
Wyant v. State  
Date: February 4, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 15
Docket Number: S-19-0080

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court convicting Defendant of three counts of second-degree sexual assault, holding that the district court did not plainly err in failing to instruct the jury that…

Mills v. State  
Date: February 4, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 14
Docket Number: S-19-0125

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the district court convicting Defendant of two counts of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and one count of interference with a peace officer, holding…

Pyles v. State  
Date: February 3, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 13
Docket Number: S-19-0061

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction of possession with intent to deliver marijuana, holding that the State's evidence at trial was sufficient to prove Defendant constructively possessed the marijuana. A…

Harmon v. State, Department of Family Services  
Date: January 29, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 12
Docket Number: S-19-0114

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court terminating Mother's parental rights to her two minor children under Wyo. Stat. Ann. 14-2-309(a)(iii) and (v), holding that the district court did not err or…

Hardman v. State  
Date: January 24, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 11
Docket Number: S-19-0092

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction of two counts of operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol pursuant to Wyo. Stat. Ann. 31-5-233(b)(i) and (b)(iii), holding that the district court did not…

Donald E. Brunner v. The State of Wyoming
Date: January 23, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 10
Docket Number: S-19-0182
Linden v. Linden  
Date: January 22, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 9
Docket Number: S-19-0107

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court denying Father's petition to modify alimony payments to Mother, holding that the district court did not abuse its discretion in finding that Father was…

Exaro Energy III, LLC v. Wyoming Oil & Gas Conservation Commission  
Date: January 17, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 8
Docket Number: S-19-0116

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the Wyoming Oil and Gas Conservation Commission approving only one out of two applications filed by Exaro Energy III, LLC seeking the approval of adjacent drilling and spacing…

Vahai v. Gertsch  
Date: January 15, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 7
Docket Number: S-19-0008

Justia Opinion Summary: In this personal injury action, the Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court awarding Plaintiff damages and finding Ryan Gertsch to be seventy-five percent liable for Plaintiff's permanent injuries to…

Byrnes v. Johnson County Commissioners  
Date: January 13, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 6
Docket Number: S-19-0056

Justia Opinion Summary: In this inverse condemnation action the Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the district court entering judgment of a matter of law that Appellant failed to establish a taking and failed to provide proof of damages,…

Flores-Gomez v. State  
Date: January 10, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 5
Docket Number: S-19-0100

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction of first-degree sexual abuse of a minor, holding that Defendant was not denied his right to a speedy trial under Wyo. R. Crim. P. 48. Defendant was charged with one…

Gowdy v. Cook  
Date: January 8, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 3
Docket Number: S-19-0005

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court granting summary judgment in favor of Defendants and dismissing Plaintiff's claims that Defendants violated various duties when drafting and administering a…

Hayse v. Wyoming Board of Coroner Standards  
Date: January 8, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 4
Docket Number: S-19-0109

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the district court affirming the decision of the Board of Coroner Standards refusing to investigate the Teton County Coroner's alleged misconduct during a coroner's inquest,…

Bacus v. Coon  
Date: January 7, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 2
Docket Number: S-19-0131

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the district court modifying custody, support and visitation awarding primary physical custody of the minor child to Father, holding that the district court did not abuse its…

Mets v. State, Department of Family Services  
Date: January 2, 2020
Citation: 2020 WY 1
Docket Number: S-19-0079

Justia Opinion Summary: The Supreme Court affirmed the order of the district court terminating Mother's parental rights, holding that even if the district court erred in admitting Mother's physician's testimony and a related 2011 medical…

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