State Briefs

No public defense for Campbell Co. misdemeanors

GILLETTE (WNE) — The Wyoming Public Defenders Office notified Circuit Court judges Wednesday that its attorneys will no longer represent people charged with misdemeanors in Campbell County until more attorneys are hired.

The action was effective Wednesday even before a letter of notification was delivered to judges at the end of the business day.

Public defenders represent people who can’t otherwise afford an attorney to represent them in court.

State Public Defender Diane M. Lozano said public defenders in Campbell County can no longer represent those charged with misdemeanors because of the heavy workload those attorneys now carry.

The decision has put local judges and county officials in a quandary because defendants have a constitutional right to an attorney. It means that if a defendant asks for an attorney, judges must now appoint one from among local private attorneys — a cost Lozano warned could be significant.

“I have informed Governor (Mark) Gordon of this possibility as well as the possibility that paying for private attorneys in Campbell County may well ‘bankrupt’ the entire Public Defender budget,” Lozano wrote.

Lozano said it was a decision that she did not take lightly, but that “I do not believe there is another option.”

Lozano said the public defenders in Gillette are overworked and underpaid. The local office employs 4.5 attorneys who handle the workload of 7.5 attorneys.

The Public Defenders Office will accept misdemeanor cases once it has enough staff to handle the workload, Lozano wrote. But the office is having trouble hiring and keeping attorneys.

Police shoot man after high-speed chase through downtown Cheyenne

CHEYENNE (WNE) — A high-speed chase through downtown Cheyenne that included multiple shots fired at pursuing officers ended Friday evening with the driver being shot and taken to the local hospital.

According to a news release from the Wyoming Highway Patrol, the chase began outside city limits when troopers tried unsuccessfully to stop a stolen vehicle. After winding its way through downtown at speeds close to 65 mph, the chase ended around 6:30 p.m. near the Veterans Affairs Medical Center on East Pershing Boulevard.

No information was available by press time about the suspect or his condition, but police scanner traffic indicated a 20-year-old male had been shot twice by a Cheyenne Police officer.

CPD Sgt. Dan Long confirmed the man had two gunshot wounds and was taken to Cheyenne Regional Medical Center, but he didn’t know the man’s name or his age.

Both Highway Patrol and Long confirmed that no law enforcement officers were injured during the incident.

Long said the chase began on Interstate 25 north of town when Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers tried to stop the vehicle, described on police radio as a black Toyota Camry. Long said it’s unclear exactly which path the chase took, but once the pursuit entered city limits, police were asked to help stop the car.

The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation has taken the lead over the case, since it includes an officer-involved shooting.

Jackson man to be nominated to oversee parks, wildlife

JACKSON (WNE) — A Jackson man who started his career as a Grand Teton National Park ranger has been nominated for a high-ranking federal job overseeing the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

President Trump announced Friday that he had nominated Teton Village resident Rob Wallace to assume the U.S. Department of the Interior post of assistant secretary for fish, wildlife and parks. The U.S. Senate still must confirm the Evanston native, but Wyoming’s congressional delegation and U.S. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt quickly supported the nomination.

“Rob Wallace has a long track record of leadership on National Park Service and Fish and Wildlife Service issues,” Bernhardt said in a statement. “He will be a fantastic asset to the Department of the Interior, and I urge the Senate to confirm him quickly.”

Wallace has resided in the valley since 2014. He worked for the 17 years before as a manager of government relations for the energy division of General Electric. Most recently, he has presided over the Upper Green River Conservancy, a Jackson-based group that describes itself as an “innovative partnership of ranchers, energy companies, conservation stakeholders and impact investors working together to ensure the protection of core sage grouse habitat” in the Upper Green River watershed.

Wallace has also served on the boards of Teton Science Schools, the Jackson Hole Historical Society, the Jackson Hole Land Trust and the University of Wyoming’s School of Energy Resources, according to a biography posted by the Grand Teton National Park Foundation, where he is also a board member.