4 I The Lovell Chronicle I January 20, 2011 www.LovellChronicle.com
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Court rules change
how information is
obtained
Editor's note: The following editorial was written by for-
mer Lovell Chronicle Editor Karla Pomeroy, now the editor
of the Basin Republican Rustler. It is written for her south
Big Horn County readers, but the issue is the same in north
Big Horn County. We appreciate how our local clerks and
Judge Thomas Harrington are working with us to provi-
de information while upholding the spirit of the Supreme
Court rule, hOwever this issue is affecting the press and,
thus, citizens across the state of Wyoming. We have substi-
tuted our local legislators and our e-mail address into Mrs.
Pomeroy editorial. - David Peck
Due to new rules of procedure regarding access to court
records enacted Jan. 1 by the Wyoming Supreme Court,
the Basin Republican Rustler can no longer receive the
same Media Disposition Report from Circuit Court it has re-
ceived for more than six years.
The rules require media to obtain records by asking for
files by a defendant name or case file. In regard to traf-
fic and other citations where persons simply forfeit fines
instead of appearing in court it is nearly impossible to ob-
tain names from all other law enforcement. As suchl at this
time, the Basin Republican Rustler will be unable to publish
those types of citations.
The Basin Municipal Court does not fall under the Supre-
me Court jurisdiction and those reports will still be available
as seen in this week issue.
Under Rule 12 m Compiled information -- the court has
determined that the Media Dispositions Report is a ',compi-
led" file. We are working to try and obtain that information
through other means, including requesting permission to
continue to obtain the Media Dispositions Report. This re-
quest was submitted late last week (Jan. 7).
The Basin Republican Rustler will continue to provide
court news on other cases such as driving under the in-
fluence, drug charges, assaults and more.
This information is public record and anyone has the ri-
ght to Contact the court and ask to see citations or files on
any specific person unless the judge seals that file.
We feel it is important to keep you informed of what cri-
minal acts are being committed by other residents in order
to help keep you safe and aware of what is happening in
your community.
Many newspapers across the state and country no lon-
ger publish traffic citations. We feel it provides as much pu-
, ,blic benefit as other criminal cases:, !'
, Publishing any court case provides a public benefit in
the following ways:
First, it lets the public know that our law enforcement,
prosecutors and courts are busy protecting and serving.
For DUIs, assaults, sexual assaults and other crimes
against a person, it provides information so residents know
tobe aware that these events are occurring in their nei-
ghborhood, city and count. It lets them know who to be
aware of and who to protect their children from, specifical-
ly with crimes against children, whether it be child neglect,
abuse or molestation.
Providing information on speeding and other traffic vio-
lations provides an awareness to the public to slow down,
be aware of their surroundings and, it is hoped, reduce the
number of traffic infractions that occur, thus making the
roads safer for everyone.
Because of the changes in the rules, which can be
found on the court website at http://www.courts.state.
wy.us/, you will notice a dramatic absence of information
in this week Circuit Court report. We are currently atten-
ding court in person and will be reporting on those who
have been sentenced, while keeping track of defendants
arraigned in court to be able to provide information on
those sentenced in court to you at a later time.
We are trying to be consistent with our policy when we
receive the Media Disposition Report, which is to publish
cases that have been disposed of in Circuit Court. The ex-
ceptions to these cases are major felonies, such as recently
the charges against Marvin Tilley. Those cases will be pu-
blished as separate stories as they have in the past ... as
we become aware of them and can ask for them by name.
As we wrote to the Court Administrator, while we appre-
ciate that the clerk time is valuable and we can sit throu-
gh court and get names of offenders and then take up the
court time in asking to see the complete files on each of
the offenders, we believe the compiled report is a time sa-
ver for both the clerk office and the media.
Another rule change -- Redactions from Court Records
-- allows us only the year of a person birth rather than
the entire birth date, thus information on a defendant
age cannot be exact as we will be unable to determine if a
person has had a birthday this year. Someone born Jan. 5,
1980, is actually 31, now, and if we are only given 1980,
we will have to say John Doe, 30 or 3 I.
Some clerks have begun redacting the entire birth date,
which makes it hard to distinguish between persons with
the same name.
As we continue to fight this battle to provide informa-
tion we believe is important to you, the public, you may
voice your opinion to your legislators and the Court Admi-
nistrator -- Rep. Elaine Harvey --harvey00@tctwest.net;
Sen. Ray Peterson -- rpeterson@wyoming.com; and Court
Administrator Joann Odendahl --jodendahl@courts.state-
wy.us. Let them know you feel the information is valuable
to the public and that you would like to continue to see it
published in your local newspaper.
Let us know, as well, if you would like to us to continue
to try and provide this information at Icnews@tctwest.net.
--Karla Pomeroy
RIGHT--
MY FORECAST FOR
TODAY DIDN'T
PAN OUT...
! CAN'T GI00II"
HOME- i'M STUCK IN
THInlY- FOOT OF YOUR
PARTLY CLOUDY!
Letters to the editor
Who's watching the Mexican Cemetery?
Dear Editor, But yet, when the Kane Cem- that arises is what is happening to
I would like to address an is- etery was vandalized in Novem- the funds sent to them to do that?
sue that has been bothering me for ber of 2009, we had people from In my opinion, I feel that if
most of the past year. And reading the school, National Park Service there are nothing but Mexicans
the Year in Review in the paper and even this local newspaper re- buried there, then it would lead
has sparked my interest again. I port on it. Yet not one word has me to believe that it is more of
hope that I can get some feedback been brought up on the cemetery a racial issue. And I can tell you
or direction from the readers out up on the hill. from experience that racism is
here. It seems to me that sever- alive and well in this community.
I drive by the so-called "Mexi- al years back Manuel Martinez It may not be as open as it was in
can Cemetery" up on the hill next worked on it, then Angel Mon- the past, but it's still here. And if
• to the Oasis intersection every tanez tried to do something and it takes throwing the race card out
day as I go and come from work. now it's just being ignored, there in order to get some type of
I look over at where it's located What I have been told is that reaction and get something done,
next to Grant's body shop, where the Cowley Cemetery is responsi- well there it is.
it seems to me that it's looking ble for it. And that they are receiv- If it walks like a duck and
more like a dumping area than ing funding for that. I don't know quacks like a duck then it's a
a cemetery. I wonder why no one how true that is? And if that is duck!
has complained on what is hap- true then they are falling behind Vicente Garcia
pening there? on the job. And another question Lovell
.Making amends for mistakes of the past
Dear Editor,
T0: The people of Big Horn
County and Park County:
Those whom I may have hurt
or harmed in my past due to my
criminal activities, I wanted you
all to know that I am using my
time and resources here in pris-
on to better myself for my return
to the community. I am taking as
many self-help groups as are of-
fered at the facility.
I am working toward getting
an awareness program started
for youthful offenders to help
steer them away from a criminal
lifestyle. (Any help or comments
in this area would be very much
appreciated.)
' I am also working as much as
I can to repay all of my restitu-
tion and fines.
I know I've made some really
bad choices in the past. I am sor-
ry that I've hurt the community,
family and friends.
I am staying away from drugs
and alcohol. I've learned that both
of these have done nothing but
cause harm to others and me.
In the past, I had blamed
most of my problems on others,
thinking that it was the commu-
nity that had it out for me, but
in the last few years I've come
to learn that itas rhy way of
thinking and behavior that was
causing my problems. I know
now that I need to be more re-
sponsible and accept that my old
way of thinking is not accept-
able.
I look forward to returning to
the community. I'm open to any
advice or criticism from anyone
who would like to help me in my
journey to becoming a better per-
son.
Joe Gould
Wyoming State Penitentiary
Rawlins
Kreutzers
thank Good
Samaritans
Dear Editor,
We want to give a big thank
you to all our friends and neigh-
bors in Frannie and Deaver. Af-
ter our car accident on Dec. 22,
we were overwhelmed with phone
calls, visits and food, after I was
rushed to the hospital in Billings.
The fire department and ambu-
lance crew's were excellent.
A special thank you to the
"unknown Good Samaritans",
who stopped with blankets and
words of encouragement. Your
prayers and support are truly ap-
preciated.
Bruce and Nadini Kreutzer
Frannie
Fifth in a series
Divine origin of law
The American founders considered
the existence of the Creator as the most
fundamental premise behind all self-evi-
dent truth. Every single self-evident truth
listed by the founders is rooted in the idea
of a divine Creator.
All of the founders acknowledged
the intervention of God in the formation
of this country. James Madison said, "It
is impossible not to perceive the finger
of that Almighty hand which has so fre-
quently and signally attended to our relief
in the critical stages of this revolution." It
was no idle gesture when the founders ad-
opted the motto "In God We Trust." It was
a statement of fact.
The founders considered that a just
society must be structured on the basis
of natural law and divinely revealed law.
These laws make up a moral code that
clearly distinguished right from wrong.
This concept was not new with the found-
ers, it being the entire foundation of all
religious cultures worldwide.
The attitude of the Founding Fathers
towards God's law gave early Americans a
very high regard for the "law" as a social
institution.
Joyce Collins
Principles of
Liberty
i 2010 MEMBER
2009 AWARD-WINNING NEWSPAPER
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Editor and Publisher: David Peck
