Wyoming Case Commentaries

Separate Estate, Marital Earnings, and “Property Acquired During Marriage”: The Wyoming Supreme Court’s Framework for Interpreting Postnuptial Agreements in Young v. Jones

Date: Dec 12, 2025

Separate Estate, Marital Earnings, and “Property Acquired During Marriage”: The Wyoming Supreme Court’s Framework for Interpreting Postnuptial Agreements in Young v. Jones I. Introduction In Bethany...

Mutual Waivers as Consideration and Limits on Separate‑Property Clauses in Wyoming Postnuptial Agreements: Commentary on Jones v. Young, 2025 WY 130

Date: Dec 12, 2025

Mutual Waivers as Consideration and Limits on Separate‑Property Clauses in Wyoming Postnuptial Agreements Commentary on Jeremy D. Jones v. Bethany D. Young, 2025 WY 130 (Wyo. Dec. 10, 2025) I....

Hunter v. Universal Precast: Limiting Dismissal as a Sanction After Mistrial and Reaffirming Gatekeeping in Wyoming

Date: Dec 10, 2025

Hunter v. Universal Precast: Limiting Dismissal as a Sanction After Mistrial and Reaffirming Gatekeeping in Wyoming Introduction In Scott Hunter and Heather Hunter, as Next Friends and Parents of LH,...

From “Good Government” to Concrete Harm: Wyoming Supreme Court Reaffirms Limits on Declaratory and Taxpayer Standing in Williams v. Board of County Commissioners

Date: Dec 4, 2025

From “Good Government” to Concrete Harm: Wyoming Supreme Court Reaffirms Limits on Declaratory and Taxpayer Standing in Williams v. Board of County Commissioners I. Introduction In Christopher...

Best Interests, Not Equal Time: No Constitutional Right to 50/50 Parenting Between Fit Parents in Wyoming – Commentary on Peter Augustus Smith v. Justine Delores Smith, 2025 WY 128

Date: Dec 4, 2025

Best Interests, Not Equal Time: No Constitutional Right to 50/50 Parenting Between Fit Parents in Wyoming I. Introduction The Wyoming Supreme Court’s decision in Peter Augustus Smith v. Justine...

Production vs. Transportation in Wyoming Oil & Gas Taxation: Commentary on Wyoming Department of Revenue v. PacifiCorp & Merit Energy Co.

Date: Dec 4, 2025

Production vs. Transportation in Wyoming Oil & Gas Taxation: Commentary on Wyoming Department of Revenue v. PacifiCorp & Merit Energy Company, LLC, 2025 WY 126 I. Introduction The Wyoming Supreme...

Jurisdictional Limits of W.R.Cr.P. 41(g) and Sovereign Immunity in Lost-Property Claims: Commentary on Scott Dearold Bressette v. State of Wyoming (2025 WY 125)

Date: Nov 23, 2025

Jurisdictional Limits of W.R.Cr.P. 41(g) and Sovereign Immunity in Lost-Property Claims: Commentary on Scott Dearold Bressette v. State of Wyoming, 2025 WY 125 I. Introduction In Scott Dearold...

Consecutive by Silence: Wyoming High Court Confirms That Silent Oral Sentences Are Presumed Consecutive—and Written Judgments May Explicitly Say So (Brewer v. State, 2025 WY 123)

Date: Nov 16, 2025

Consecutive by Silence: Wyoming High Court Confirms That Silent Oral Sentences Are Presumed Consecutive—and Written Judgments May Explicitly Say So Commentary on Brewer v. State, 2025 WY 123 (Wyo....

No Requirement for Self‑Defense Unanimity Instructions or Special Verdict Interrogatories Under Wyoming Law

Date: Nov 8, 2025

No Requirement for Self‑Defense Unanimity Instructions or Special Verdict Interrogatories Under Wyoming Law Introduction In James Franklin Mavigliano v. State of Wyoming, 2025 WY 122 (Wyo. Nov. 6,...

Reasonable Suspicion for 100-Foot Turn-Signal Violations: Trained Officer Distance Estimates and Ambiguous Dashcam Footage Suffice

Date: Nov 8, 2025

Reasonable Suspicion for 100-Foot Turn-Signal Violations: Trained Officer Distance Estimates and Ambiguous Dashcam Footage Suffice Case: Mark David Davis v. The State of Wyoming (2025 WY 120) Court:...

No Prophylactic Brady Duty: Wyoming Supreme Court Declines to Require Preemptive “Brady Cop” Disclosures and Sends Ambiguous Non‑Disparagement Clause to the Fact‑Finder

Date: Nov 8, 2025

No Prophylactic Brady Duty: Wyoming Supreme Court Declines to Require Preemptive “Brady Cop” Disclosures and Sends Ambiguous Non‑Disparagement Clause to the Fact‑Finder Introduction This commentary...

Silence Is Not Ambiguity: Wyoming High Court Holds Written Judgment Cannot Supply a Probation Length Omitted at Sentencing

Date: Nov 7, 2025

Silence Is Not Ambiguity: Wyoming High Court Holds Written Judgment Cannot Supply a Probation Length Omitted at Sentencing Introduction In James D. Van Winter v. State of Wyoming, 2025 WY 119 (Wyo....

Silence Is Conflict: Wyoming Supreme Court Requires Probation Length Be Orally Pronounced; Written Judgment Cannot Supply Missing Term

Date: Nov 7, 2025

Silence Is Conflict: Wyoming Supreme Court Requires Probation Length Be Orally Pronounced; Written Judgment Cannot Supply Missing Term Introduction In James D. Van Winter v. The State of Wyoming,...

Robin v. State: Wyoming Affirms 911 Calls Made During an Ongoing Emergency Are Nontestimonial and Admissible as Excited Utterances

Date: Nov 5, 2025

Robin v. State: Wyoming Affirms 911 Calls Made During an Ongoing Emergency Are Nontestimonial and Admissible as Excited Utterances Introduction In Michael Isreal Robin, Sr. v. State of Wyoming, 2025...

Intent to Steal May Be Inferred from Social Media Planning and Forced Entry; Co‑Conspirator Messages Admissible with Independent Proof of Conspiracy

Date: Oct 30, 2025

Intent to Steal May Be Inferred from Social Media Planning and Forced Entry; Co‑Conspirator Messages Admissible with Independent Proof of Conspiracy Introduction This commentary examines the Wyoming...

Uniform “Reasonable Probability” Harmless‑Error Standard Adopted; Defendant’s Absence from Suppression Hearing Deemed Harmless; Confession Upheld as Voluntary

Date: Oct 24, 2025

Uniform “Reasonable Probability” Harmless‑Error Standard Adopted; Defendant’s Absence from Suppression Hearing Deemed Harmless; Confession Upheld as Voluntary Introduction In Cheri Lynn Marler v....

“Dispositive Must Mean Case-Ending”: Wyoming Supreme Court Invalidates Non‑Dispositive Conditional Plea Under W.R.Cr.P. 11(a)(2) in Kotrc v. State

Date: Oct 24, 2025

“Dispositive Must Mean Case-Ending”: Wyoming Supreme Court Invalidates Non‑Dispositive Conditional Plea Under W.R.Cr.P. 11(a)(2) in Kotrc v. State Introduction In Cody Allan Kotrc v. State of...

A Bifurcated Test for “Cruel or Unusual”: Wyoming Supreme Court Clarifies Article 1, § 14 and Declines Categorical Protections for Emerging Adults

Date: Oct 22, 2025

A Bifurcated Test for “Cruel or Unusual”: Wyoming Supreme Court Clarifies Article 1, § 14 and Declines Categorical Protections for Emerging Adults Introduction In Christopher Robert Hicks v. The...

Consciousness-of-Guilt and Intent: Wyoming High Court Affirms Admissibility of “Going Back to Prison” Statements Under W.R.E. 404(b) in Felony Stalking

Date: Oct 13, 2025

Consciousness-of-Guilt and Intent: Wyoming High Court Affirms Admissibility of “Going Back to Prison” Statements Under W.R.E. 404(b) in Felony Stalking Case: Jason Scott Bragdon v. The State of...

“Convicted Felon” Accusations Are Defamation Per Se; Party‑Opponent Statements in Affidavits Can Defeat Summary Judgment — Lewis v. Jolley (Wyo. 2025)

Date: Oct 10, 2025

“Convicted Felon” Accusations Are Defamation Per Se; Party‑Opponent Statements in Affidavits Can Defeat Summary Judgment — Lewis v. Jolley (Wyo. 2025) Introduction In Brian C. Lewis v. Rebecca Lyn...