What a 27-year-old Laramie man intended as a frustrated Facebook rant ended with a criminal conviction, five days in jail, the loss of his apartment and job, and three years of supervised probation.
Dawson Cooley was sentenced Tuesday in Albany County Circuit Court after pleading guilty last week to a reduced misdemeanor charge of sending a death threat electronically.
The charge stems from a series of Facebook posts in May directed at Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon, including one that stated, "I might assassinate you."
As part of a plea agreement accepted by the court, Cooley received a suspended 365-day jail sentence and was placed on three years of supervised probation. The court also granted him a deferred sentence on a second charge.
The misdemeanor conviction carries a maximum penalty of up to one year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Albany County Prosecuting Attorney Joel Defebaugh and defense attorney Travis Shurtliff jointly recommended the plea agreement.
Looking Back
Speaking with Cowboy State Daily after his sentencing, Cooley said he regrets the Facebook posts and wishes he had handled his frustrations differently.
"It all started with a media request functionality website that was broken," Cooley said. "I kind of got upset about that and expressed myself in a pretty ignorant way."
Cooley said he believes portions of the post were taken out of context and that he had been criticizing Gordon before writing the threatening language.
"If I could go back and not do that, I would for sure," he said.
He also said he posted an apology the following morning after realizing how his words could be interpreted.
At the time, Cooley said he believed the post fell under free speech protections because "the whole thing in context ... painted a different picture."
Cooley said he has been pursuing independent journalism and was attempting to gather information through public records requests when he wrote the Facebook posts.
Heavy Consequences
Cooley said the criminal case altered nearly every part of his life.
He spent five days in jail before posting a $20,000 cash bond in May.
While released pending trial, he said bond conditions prohibiting internet access left him unable to search for housing or jobs, complete online college coursework or even make routine purchases electronically.
"I lost my apartment, my job, like the new radio position, and potentially my prospects to go to college," Cooley said.
He described the restrictions as "pretty horrible."
"I had to withdraw from that stuff," he said of his college classes.
Looking ahead, Cooley said he plans to continue pursuing independent journalism while developing software he hopes will help people conduct legal and public records research more efficiently.
Mental Health
One of the primary conditions of Cooley's probation requires him to participate in mental health treatment and counseling.
Defebaugh told Cowboy State Daily that the probation terms are "for the most part routine," but place "an emphasis on Mr. Cooley's mental health treatment and counseling."
Cooley said he does not object to that requirement.
"Everyone's got problems, and I'm no different," he said. "I was actually, before this all happened, looking at getting treatment."
Looking back, he said he wishes he had addressed his frustrations differently.
"I could have done things in a much more mentally healthy way instead of just a rant," Cooley said. "I could have put together a concise article about all my grievances."
'If I Could Go Back ...'
Cooley said he believes aspiring independent journalists should have the same ability to seek government information as members of the traditional news media and that frustrations over public records requests fueled the Facebook posts.
Among the posts investigators cited in the criminal affidavit was one stating, "Gov. Gordy, if I have to talk to you with a gun in your office, so be it."
Court records show Gordon's legal counsel informed the court that the governor was not seeking restitution and did not wish to provide a victim impact statement.
Cowboy State Daily also requested comment from the governor's office. Communications Director Amy Edmonds declined.
Cooley said he recognizes the seriousness of what happened and hopes to move forward.
"I think that I'm lucky to not be getting jail time for this," he said. "If I could go back and ... not do that, I would for sure."
Kolby Fedore can be reached at kolby@cowboystatedaily.com.
