Crime & Courts
News
Claiming You're A Sovereign Citizen In Wyoming Isn't Going To Get You Out Of A Ticket
"Sovereign citizens" in Wyoming challenge traffic laws and court authority with fringe legal theories, but rarely, if ever, work. Criminologists and sheriffs say the movement persists mostly online but sometimes there's a tense roadside encounter.
Dale KillingbeckMarch 28, 2026
Cheyenne Cops Win Two Lawsuits On The Same Day, Under Different Judges
Cheyenne police won two civil cases this month on the same day, on the same grounds, with the same lawyers. The different, federal-court judges ruled that people they took to the ground during arrest failed to show excessive force.
Clair McFarlandMarch 27, 2026
Former Rock Springs Hotel Manager Accused Of $200,000 Fraud By Making Up Guests
A 49-year-old Green River woman is accused of defrauding the hotel she managed out of $200,000 by pocketing cash for hundreds of zeroed-out invoices. She’s also accused of using made-up names and addresses to cover up the bogus transactions.
Greg JohnsonMarch 27, 2026
Semi-Truck Burns To The Ground After Hitting Another Semi-Truck On I-80
Two westbound semi-trucks collided on I-80 in Uinta County on Friday morning and one "burned to the ground,” according to Wyoming Highway Patrol. Two people were injured, and one driver was cited for following too close.
Andrew RossiMarch 27, 2026
Slow-Speed Backward Chase Through Upton ‘The Most Excitement We Have Around Here’
“The most excitement we have around here” is how locals describe Thursday’s slow-speed, backward chase through Upton. And it really wasn’t a chase, the police chief says. It was an officer running interference for a truck stuck in reverse.
Greg JohnsonMarch 27, 2026
Fremont County Man Says He ‘Snapped’ When He Slit Friend's Throat Over Dead Sister
A 32-year-old Fremont County man confessed Thursday in court that three years ago he “snapped,” stabbed his drinking companion and slit his throat. He claimed the former friend bad-mouthed his deceased sister.
Clair McFarlandMarch 27, 2026
Wyoming Reporter Now Facing An Additional 10 Felony Charges
A Wyoming reporter is facing an additional 10 felony charges after allegedly forging USDA loan documents for a property purchase. She's already facing 10 felony charges for submitting forged documents and lying under oath before the Industrial Siting Council.
Clair McFarlandMarch 26, 2026
‘He Can’t Have My Kids’: Wheatland Woman Charged With Soliciting Husband’s Murder
A 28-year-old Wheatland woman is accused of soliciting a friend to kill her husband, and wanting the deed done quickly because she was afraid he’d take their three children from her. The husband discovered their text conversation plotting to kill him and went to police.
Greg JohnsonMarch 26, 2026
Cheyenne Teacher On Knees In Video Begging Student Taken Out Of Classroom
A Cheyenne junior high school teacher seen on video on his knees in front of a female student telling her that “I did something very wrong” has been removed from the classroom. Meanwhile, the district attorney’s office is reviewing the case.
Greg JohnsonMarch 26, 2026
Biden-Era Social Media Censorship Lawsuit Ends; Hageman: "It Was Pretty Blatant"
Long before the famous COVID-era censorship lawsuit Missouri v Biden ended Wednesday, Rep. Harriet Hageman called out the federal government for badgering social media companies. “It was pretty blatant what was going on,” she told Cowboy State Daily.
Clair McFarlandMarch 26, 2026
Rep. Allemand DUI Case: Body Cam Video Shows Arrest, Now Judge Considers Legality
In a Buffalo courtroom Wednesday, a magistrate watched body cam video of Rep. Bill Allemand’s Dec. 28 DUI arrest and listened to a combination of evidence, testimony and closing statements. Now the magistrate is deciding whether that arrest was lawful.
Clair McFarlandMarch 26, 2026
Albany County Man Accused Of Beating Father Bloody In Front Of Young Daughter
An Albany County man accused of beating his father bloody and unconscious in front of his young daughter, then putting a knife to his throat, had his case elevated to felony-level court on Tuesday.
Greg JohnsonMarch 25, 2026
Fire Officials Believe Kane Fire Near Lovell Is Human-Caused; Acts Like "August Blaze"
Firefighters now believe the Kane Fire just north of Lovell is human-caused. They also say the 1,900-acre fire, which is now 30% contained, has the behavior of "an August blaze."
Andrew RossiMarch 25, 2026
Former Engineer Says Cheyenne Train Incident Reason Why 2-Person Crews Necessary
A former Wyoming Union Pacific engineer says the arrest of an engineer charged with being under the influence of drugs while operating a 16,000-ton train loaded with hazardous materials is why automating humans out of freight trains is a bad idea.
Greg JohnsonMarch 25, 2026
Shoshoni Police Launch Ambulance Service Amid Countywide Funding Struggles
As Fremont County officials weigh their options for how to fund essential services, Shoshoni has taken ambulance service into its own hands. It has become the first town in the state to staff an ambulance service with its police department.
Kate MeadowsMarch 25, 2026
Rock Springs Activist Defends Raid On Wisconsin Beagle Lab, Says Arrest Was Worth It
A Rock Springs animal rights activist who helped raid a Wisconsin beagle lab earlier this month said saving abused dogs was worth getting arrested. “It’s not a crime to rescue abused animals when they are suffering,” she told Cowboy State Daily.
Jen KocherMarch 25, 2026
UP Engineer Charged With Being On Drugs While Driving HAZMAT-Loaded Train
A Union Pacific engineer has been charged with being on drugs while driving a train loaded with 16,000 tons of hazardous materials across eastern Wyoming. He told deputies he fell asleep “a little bit” and possible “for the whole trip.”
Greg Johnson & Kate MeadowsMarch 25, 2026
Becky Hadlock Says The State Doesn't Have Grounds To Remove Her From Office
Weston County Clerk Becky Hadlock asked a court Tuesday to dismiss the Wyoming Attorney General’s effort to remove her from office. “The chain of events leading to the filing of this petition is tortured and petty,” Hadlock’s attorney Ryan Semerad wrote in the filing.
Clair McFarlandMarch 24, 2026
Wyoming Sheriff Pushes To Keep Drug Recognition Experts On The Road
With meth and cocaine being the top categories in Wyoming's drugged driving arrest reports for 2025, Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak is pushing to keep the state's Drug Recognition Expert program alive. It trains officers to spot drug-impaired drivers.
Kate MeadowsMarch 24, 2026
Utah Mom Accused Of Kidnapping Boy To Make Him Apologize For Bullying Her Child
A Utah woman is accused of kidnapping an 11-year-old boy and making him apologize to her child for being a bully. “I damn sure wouldn’t go grab a kid and drag him to my house,” a former Wyoming sheriff said about how to deal with a bully.
Greg JohnsonMarch 24, 2026
SWAT Team Breaches Newcastle Home To End Four-Hour Standoff With Wanted Man
It took about four hours and a SWAT team from Campbell County to capture a reportedly armed Newcastle man out of a home Monday. He was wanted on a warrant for a parole violation and now faces up to 10 more years in prison.
Greg JohnsonMarch 24, 2026
Big Horn County Man Tells Deputies To ‘Shut Up,’ Dares Them To ‘Shoot Me’
A 29-year-old Big Horn County man is accused of threatening to shoot livestock, then telling deputies to “shut up” and daring them to “act like a dip**** and shoot me.” He could get up to 35 years in prison, if convicted.
Greg JohnsonMarch 23, 2026
Wyoming AG Says Pulling Retired Judge Into Abortion Case Amounts To Judge Shopping
Trying to convince a retired judge to add a fresh challenge against Wyoming’s newest abortion ban into a case that’s been ongoing for a year amounts to “judge shopping,” a Wyoming Attorney General’s deputy argued. A hearing is set for March 30.
Clair McFarlandMarch 23, 2026
‘No Way I Can Afford That’: $1M Bond For Man Accused Of Killing 10-Month-Old Girl
“No way I can afford that,” a 41-year-old Cheyenne-area man charged with first-degree murder in the death of a 10-month-old girl told a judge Monday. The district attorney had asked for $500,000, and the judge doubled that to $1 million.
Greg JohnsonMarch 23, 2026