Justia Wyoming Supreme Court Opinion Summaries

The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court affirming the decision of the Medical Commission upholding the denial of Appellant's request for benefits, holding that there was substantial evidence to support the Commission's denial of coverage.In 2007, Appellant suffered a compensable injury to her left knee. More than a decade later, Appellant submitted requests to the Department of Workforce Services, Workers' Compensation Division to cover treatment for her right knee, ankles and back and further applied for permanent total disability (PTD) benefits. The Division denied both requests, and the Commission affirmed the ruling. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that that there was substantial evidence to support the Commission's findings that (1) Appellant's right knee, ankle, and back injuries were not second compensable injuries; and (2) Appellant did not qualify for PTD benefits under the odd lot doctrine. View "Ross v. State, ex rel., Department of Workforce Services, Workers' Compensation Division" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court concluding that the lease of property in this case did not violate Appellants' first refusal to purchase the property, holding that the district court did not err.John and Melanie Lennon leased property owned by the Larry Lee Luckinbill Living Trust for a 125-year term. Thereafter, Appellants - Anne Holding and the Crandall Creek Ranch Company - brought suit against the Lennons and the trust's trustee, seeking a declaratory judgment stating that the lease violated their right of first refusal. The district court concluded that the right of first refusal remained in effect but that the lease did not trigger that right. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that the lease did not trigger Appellants' right of first refusal. View "Holding v. Luckinbill" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the district court granting summary judgment to the City of Lander and dismissing Plaintiffs' negligence claim on grounds of governmental immunity, holding that the district court erred both procedurally and as a matter of law when it granted summary judgment.Plaintiffs found a bat in their home and called the Animal Control Division of the Lander Police Department. The bat was captured but escaped before it could be tested for rabies. Plaintiffs filed a complaint seeking damages for the cost of the rabies vaccines and mental anguish. The trial court granted summary judgment in favor of the City. The Supreme Court reversed, holding (1) the district court procedurally erred when it granted summary judgment on grounds not raised by the parties without giving notice and a time to respond; and (2) the City was not entitled to summary judgment as a matter of law on the undisputed facts of record. View "Cornella v. City of Lander, Wyoming" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court awarding Father sole custody of the parties' daughter and denying Mother's request to end supervised visitation, holding that there was no error.The court in this case initially decided that it was in the child's best interests for Father to have physical custody of the child and the parents to share joint custody. Upon Father's motion, the court subsequently awarded Father sole legal and physical custody of the child, subject to Mother's supervised visitation. Father later filed a petition seeking to move Mother's visitation to another city. Mother counterclaimed, requesting her visitation no longer be supervised. The court ultimately moved Mother's visitation with the child and ordered that Mother's visitation remain supervised. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that the district court did not abuse its discretion or violate Mother's constitutional right to familial association by denying Mother's request to end supervised visitation. View "Taulo-Millar v. Hognason" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court affirmed Defendant's conviction of four felonies - one count of attempted second degree sexual abuse of a minor and three counts of third degree sexual abuse of a minor - holding that Defendant validly waived his right to a jury trial.After a bench trial without any mention in the record that Defendant had waived his right to a jury trial, the court found Defendant guilty of the charged crimes. On appeal, Defendant argued that the court failed to ensure that his jury trial waiver complied with Wyo. R. Crim. P. 23(a) and was knowing, intelligent, and voluntary. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that Defendant's jury trial waiver was valid. View "Ballard v. State" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court awarding David Cook custody of the two minor children he shared with Charmaine Parker, holding that the district court did not err.When Cook and Parker divorced, Parker received custody of the parties' two children. The children were later taken into protective custody and then placed with Cook when Parker was accused of assaulting the children's older half-sibling. Cook filed a civil case asking the district court to modify the original custody order to award him custody of the children. The district court entered judgment in favor of Cook. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that the district court did not abuse its discretion when it granted Cook's motion to strike five of Parker's expert witnesses and denied Parker's request to present surrebuttal testimony. View "Parker v. Cook" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court reversed Defendant's conviction for aggravated assault and battery, holding that a new trial was required because the district court abused its discretion by admitting certain testimony that prejudiced Defendant.After a jury trial, Defendant was found guilty for threatening to use a drawn deadly weapon on his wife. On appeal, Defendant argued that the district court abused its discretion by admitting his wife's testimony about a prior incident between her and Defendant in Park City, Utah because the testimony constituted uncharged misconduct evidence that was improperly admitted. The Supreme Court agreed and reversed, holding that the district court abused its discretion in admitting the Park City testimony and that the testimony prejudiced Defendant. View "Kincaid v. State" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment of the district court dismissing Plaintiff's complaint against Defendants for breach of an agreement, holding that the district court did not abuse its discretion in dismissing the complaint on the ground of forum non conveniens.Plaintiff, a resident of Arizona, and his sister, a resident of California, were beneficiaries of separate trusts (the BRT and the MRT). The Trustees that managed the BRT and MRT resided in or had offices in California. The BRT and MRT were each fifty percent members of a California entity that owned property in Wyoming. In his complaint, Plaintiff asserted that his sister and the Trustees breached their agreement to sell the MRT's interest in the California entity to BRT. The district court dismissed the complaint based on forum non conveniens and its conclusion that the parties had a separate settlement agreement requiring litigation to be brought in a California probate court. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that the trial court did not abuse its discretion in dismissing on the basis of forum non conveniens. View "Lund v. Lund" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court reversed in part and affirmed in part two district court orders in this divorce case - a custody order and a visitation order, holding that the district court abused its discretion in requiring Father to submit to regular alcohol testing during the transition period to joint custody.On appeal, Father argued that the district court erred in awarding primary custody to Mother during the transition period, in implementing a fifteen-month transition plan, and requiring him to submit to regular alcohol testing during the transition. The Supreme Court reversed the alcohol testing requirement and otherwise affirmed, holding that the district court (1) did not abuse its discretion in awarding primary custody to Mother; (2) abused its discretion in requiring Father to film himself taking a home breath test at least once a week and undergo random tests for nearly one year; and (3) did not commit reversible error when it delayed seven months after the final hearing before entering its custody and visitation orders. View "Mecartney v. Mecartney" on Justia Law

The Supreme Court affirmed the child custody modification order entered by the district court awarding Father primary physical custody of the parties' two children, holding that the district court did not abuse its discretion.When the parties divorced, a stipulated divorce decree awarded them joint legal, physical, and residential custody of their two minor children. The court later granted Mother's motion to modify, concluding that it was in the children's best interests for Mother to have primary residential custody. Father subsequently filed the custody modification issue at issue, arguing that a material change in circumstances had occurred and that it was in the children's best interests that he be awarded primary residential custody. The district court granted the motion. The Supreme Court affirmed, holding that the district court did not abuse its discretion in determining that a material change in circumstances had occurred and that it was in the children's best interests to award primary physical custody to Father. View "Gutierrez v. Bradley" on Justia Law