FAQs

Why can't the County Attorney answer my private legal questions?

The responsibilities of the County Attorney are defined by Wyoming Statute (Law). The County Attorney is the prosecutor for the State regarding criminal matters and the attorney for the County Elected Officials and Department heads. Because there is a potential for ethical conflict, the County Attorney cannot advise anyone in private matters as the potential for conflict with his primary duties is quite high.

Why can't the victim of a crime drop the charges against a defendant?

The County Attorney’s Office does take into consideration the desires of the victim when making charging and sentencing decisions. However, the State also has an interest in ensuring that all its citizens are abiding by the law and violators of that law must often be dealt with even though an individual victim may believe otherwise. For that reason, the County Attorney’s Office may proceed with prosecution despite a contrary request by the victim.

Could the County Attorney make me a deal on a speeding ticket?

For various reasons, including the size of Fremont County and the fact that we have a large tourist population passing through, it is the policy of this office to not make “deals” or “fix” speeding tickets. Of course, every case is different and we will continue to review all requests.

Why can't the County Attorney's Office disclose the background information on an individual?

The proper agency to gain background information is the Sheriff’s Office or Police Department. If a matter is not public record, then it cannot be disclosed through this office. These laws are in effect to protect all individuals from invasion of their privacy.

Why can't the County Attorney's office talk to a defendant's friends or family about initial case details?

There are several reasons. The primary reason is that a defendant is presumed innocent and talking about the facts of his or her case discloses information that may paint them in a bad light doing damage to their reputation. Of equal importance is simply the privacy of the defendant, whether found guilty or innocent, his or her personal information should be respected. And finally, there is a facet of protecting the prosecutor’s case and the evidence which supports the case that dictates that discussion with anyone other than the defendant or their attorney would be inappropriate.