What are Wyoming Court Records?

Transcripts

These records document exactly what was said and by whom. They are extracted from a real-time transcriber or an electronic recording of the proceedings.

Docket Sheet

The docket lists the judge, defendant, plaintiff, and attorneys. It also provides a synopsis of every document cited during the trial.

Judgments and Orders

The judgment describes the court's ruling, including the winner and any penalties or orders that may be relevant.

Court Minutes

This compiles a chronology of court proceedings, including the beginning and conclusion of the trial, special actions, and minute orders.

Evidence

All evidence that is presented in court is kept on file. This applies to both electronic and physical evidence. If there are exceptional circumstances, the parties may request that the judge seal the evidence.

Pleadings

These are official documents prepared by attorneys that list the grievances, defenses, admissions, and other positions taken by each party in the case.

Civil Cases

The goal of civil litigation is to settle disagreements among citizens. The fact that civil cases do not carry jail time or other serious rights violations is one of their most important features. As a result, compared to criminal trials, the burden of proof, the amount of evidence required to support a claim, is far lower.

The burden of proof for civil attorneys is the "preponderance of the evidence". This implies that the person with the strongest evidence would be chosen by the jury or judge. In a civil judgment, there is no requirement for a unanimous verdict, which occurs when all jurors concur on the verdict and the case's end.

Particularly in cases when a criminal prosecution has failed, the goal of civil verdicts is to give the winner relief, restitution for losses, or a sense of justice. Penalties can include compensating parties, halting specific actions, or addressing the root cause of the disagreement. There is also no legal right to legal representation in a civil case. Civil parties are required to hire their attorneys or attend court to represent themselves.

Criminal Cases

The State typically initiates criminal prosecutions. Those suspected of committing crimes are charged with crimes by the State. The local District Attorney's office usually brings the case against the defendant on behalf of the State.

In criminal proceedings, defendants have the right to a jury. The court chooses the jury from a random sample of district residents, and each juror is questioned to remove any potential bias. Defendants also have the option of a bench trial without a jury if the State agrees.

Unlike juries in civil trials, jurors in criminal trials must vote unanimously. This implies that they must all concur on the court case's outcome and verdict. The significantly higher potential penalties in a criminal prosecution are the reason for this requirement. A guilty verdict can result in probation, another kind of supervised release, jail time, or all of these; therefore, jurors must be certain that the defendant is "guilty beyond a reasonable doubt".

If a fine is imposed, the State receives the money instead of the aggrieved person. However, in certain cases, the judge may also order the offender to compensate the victim for any damages caused by the offense.

Wyoming Supreme Court

As the highest court in the state, the Supreme Court of Wyoming, which is based in Cheyenne, is the last court to hear cases arising under state law. Except for instances involving federal law issues, which may be appealed to the US Supreme Court, its rulings are final. District court appeals make up the majority of matters that are docketed in the Supreme Court. A district court's ruling may be appealed to the Supreme Court by litigants who are unhappy with it.

When there is no specific statute or prior ruling on a certain topic, the Supreme Court must interpret the statutes that most closely apply or extrapolate earlier rulings to address the difficulties at hand. Alternatively, it may depend on the rulings of prior cases or current statutes. On occasion, if a ruling in a prior case no longer serves the interests of justice, the Supreme Court may reject it and adopt a new rule of law. Lastly, the Supreme Court has the authority to rule that a specific law or ordinance is unconstitutional if it violates the US Constitution or the Wyoming Constitution.

The Supreme Court has five justices. Every Justice has a judicial assistant and two staff attorneys who help with opinion writing. A constitutional officer, the Clerk of the Court is appointed by the Court. In addition to collecting all fees and maintaining the Supreme Court's paper and electronic records, papers, and journals, the clerk also maintains the court seal.

Wyoming District Court

The district courts have general jurisdiction. Juvenile and probate cases, as well as felony criminal and civil trials, are heard by the district judges. They also consider appeals of decisions made by subordinate courts. Except for civil matters under $50,000, small claims lawsuits, and misdemeanors, which the circuit courts handle, the district courts have unrestricted authority. Because of this, the district courts handle some of the state's most important matters and disputes.

The state has nine judicial districts with a total of 26 district judges. The tenure of district judges is six years. The Judicial Nominating Commission submits a list of three eligible candidates, from which the governor selects a judge. To serve as a district judge, a lawyer must be at least 28 years old, a citizen of the United States, and have lived in Wyoming for at least two years. District judges are required to retire at age 70.

The district court clerk is responsible for maintaining the Wyoming court's records. The district court has a clerk of court's office in each county. All of a case's written documents, including the complaint, responses, pleadings, orders, judgment, and any written opinions, are kept in case files by the clerk.

Wyoming Chancery Court

The Chancery Court offers an opportunity for the expedited settlement of business, trust, and commercial cases. It has the authority to rule on cases involving relief and money recovery exceeding $50,000 that result from allegations of fraud, fiduciary responsibility violations, contract violations, and derivative proceedings.

Chancery judges are selected similarly to Supreme Court justices. Their terms are six years. The Judicial Nominating Commission submits a list of three competent candidates, and the governor selects a judge from among them. The retention requirements are the same as those for justices of the Supreme Court.

Wyoming Circuit Court

There are circuit courts in all 23 counties. Circuit courts have civil jurisdiction over cases if the requested damages or recovery are less than $50,000. Circuit courts also hear instances involving detainers, forced entry, stalking, and family violence. All of the misdemeanors fall within the criminal jurisdiction.

If a municipality seeks it and the Supreme Court agrees to such a court consolidation, the circuit court may also have the authority of a municipal court on ordinance violations. Lastly, the circuit court has the authority to hold preliminary hearings in felony cases and issue bail for those who are accused of crimes.

The governor appoints judges to the circuit court for four-year terms. In addition to being full-time judges, they must be eligible state electors and attorneys admitted to the Wyoming State Bar. They have magistrates to help.

Wyoming Municipal Court

Municipal courts operate in some incorporated cities and towns. Municipal courts only have jurisdiction over matters about local ordinances. A judge in a municipal court has the authority to impose fines of up to $750 and/or prison time of up to six months. It is possible to appeal Municipal Court rulings to the District Courts. Judges of municipal courts are often chosen by the mayor with the council's approval. The terms are determined by the municipality. Many municipal judges are attorneys, and the majority hold part-time posts.