2015 Wyoming Code
TITLE 7 - CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
CHAPTER 13 - SENTENCE AND IMPRISONMENT
ARTICLE 1 - IN GENERAL
SECTION 7-13-105. - Certificate of restoration of rights; procedure for restoration in general; procedure for restoration of voting rights for nonviolent felonies; filing requirements.

7-13-105. Certificate of restoration of rights; procedure for restoration in general; procedure for restoration of voting rights for nonviolent felonies; filing requirements.

(a) Upon receipt of a written application, the governor may issue to a person convicted of a felony under the laws of a state or the United States a certificate which restores the rights lost pursuant to W.S. 6-10-106 when:

(i) His term of sentence expires; or

(ii) He satisfactorily completes a probation period.

(b) A person convicted of a nonviolent felony or nonviolent felonies arising out of the same occurrence or related course of events may apply in writing to the state board of parole for a certificate which restores the person's voting rights lost pursuant to W.S. 6-10-106. The application shall specifically state that the requirements of this subsection have been met and shall be on a form approved by the state board of parole. The state board of parole shall issue a certificate restoring a person's voting rights if:

Note: Effective 1/1/2016 this section will read as:

The department of corrections shall issue a certificate of restoration of voting rights as provided in this subsection and subsection (c) of this section. Upon issuance of a certificate, voting rights lost pursuant to W.S. 6-10-106 shall be deemed restored. The department of corrections shall issue a person convicted of a nonviolent felony or nonviolent felonies arising out of the same occurrence or related course of events a certificate of restoration of voting rights if:

(i) The applicant has never been convicted of any other felony other than convictions arising out of the same occurrence for which restoration of rights is sought;

Note: Effective 1/1/2016 this paragraph will read as:

The person has not been convicted of any other felony other than convictions arising out of the same occurrence or related course of events for which restoration of rights is certified;

(ii) All of the applicant's terms of sentence are expired, or in the case of probation, the applicant has completed all probation periods; and

Note: Effective 1/1/2016 this paragraph will read as:

The person has completed all of his sentence, including probation or parole; and

(iii) It has been at least five (5) years since the expiration of all of the applicant's terms of sentence, or in the case of probation, the completion of all probation periods.

(c) Upon receipt of the written application under subsection (b) of this section, the board shall review the materials and make an initial determination of eligibility. Should the board deny the application at this initial determination, the applicant shall have the right to request a contested case hearing before the board as provided by and in accordance with the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act. The decision of the board after such hearing shall be deemed a final administrative determination, shall be in writing, and, shall in the case of a denial of the application, state the findings of the board and the reasons for the denial and shall not be subject to judicial review under W.S. 16-3-114.

Note: Effective 1/1/2016 this section will read as:

The department of corrections shall issue a certificate of restoration of voting rights to eligible persons as follows:

(i) For persons convicted within Wyoming of a nonviolent felony or nonviolent felonies arising out of the same occurrence or related course of events, the department shall require an application for restoration before issuing a certificate to eligible persons who completed their sentence before January 1, 2016. The department shall not require an application for restoration before issuing a certificate to eligible persons who complete their sentence after January 1, 2016; [Note: This paragraph is effective 1/1/2016.]

(ii) For persons convicted outside of Wyoming or under federal law of a nonviolent felony or nonviolent felonies arising out of the same occurrence or related course of events, the department shall require an application for restoration before issuing a certificate to an eligible person. [Note: This paragraph is effective 1/1/2016.]

(d) As used in this section, "violent felony" means as defined by W.S. 6-1-104(a)(xii), including offenses committed in another jurisdiction which if committed in this state would constitute a violent felony under W.S. 6-1-104(a)(xii). As used in this section, "nonviolent felony" includes all felony offenses not otherwise defined as violent felonies.

NOTE: Effective 1/1/2016, this section will read as follows:

The department's denial of a certificate of restoration of voting rights is a final action of the agency subject to judicial review. The clerk of the district court and the division of criminal investigation shall cooperate with the department of corrections in providing information necessary for determining a person's eligibility to receive a certificate of restoration of voting rights. The department of corrections shall notify the secretary of state when any person's voting rights have been restored. If the person was convicted in Wyoming, the department shall submit the certificate of restoration of voting rights to the clerk of the district court in which the person was convicted and the clerk shall file the certificate in the criminal case in which the conviction was entered.

(e) As used in this section: [Note: This paragraph is effective 1/1/2016.]

(i) "Same occurrence or related course of events" means the same transaction or occurrence or a series of events closely related in time or location; [Note: This paragraph is effective 1/1/2016.]

(ii) "Violent felony" means as defined by W.S. 6-1-104(a)(xii), including offenses committed in another jurisdiction which if committed in this state would constitute a violent felony under W.S. 6-1-104(a)(xii). "Nonviolent felony" includes all felony offenses not otherwise defined as violent felonies. [Note: This paragraph is effective 1/1/2016.]