Felonies

Crimes which may be punished by imprisonment for more than one year are felonies in Wyoming. All other crimes are misdemeanors. The court may also impose a fine as part of the punishment for any felony.

Felony Hearings & Outcomes

The following are outcomes and various hearings involved with felony offenses:

• Initial Appearance
• Preliminary Hearing
• Case Dismissed
• Bound over to District Court
• District Court Arraignment
• Motion Hearings
• Pre-Trial Conference
• Trial (Bench or Jury)
• Guilty
• Not Guilty
• Sentencing
  
  

Initial Appearance

The charges and the maximum penalties are explained to the defendant, along with the defendant’s constitutional rights, during the initial appearance. Issues of bond are addressed, including requirements for the defendant’s behavior throughout the court process.

Preliminary Hearing

The preliminary hearing determines whether probable cause exists that a felony has been committed, and that the defendant probably committed it. If the court determines probable cause does exist, the case is “bound over” to district court. If the court determines probable cause does not exist, the case is dismissed. Sometimes the defendant “waives” the preliminary hearing. This means the preliminary hearing is not held, and the case is forwarded to district court for arraignment. If a plea agreement is reached and it involves a plea to an amended misdemeanor offense, the preliminary hearing may become a change of plea hearing.

Arraignment

At the time of arraignment, felony defendants are given the opportunity to plead guilty or not guilty to the felony offense(s) charges.

Motion Hearing & Pre-Trial Conference

If the defendant has plead not guilty at the arraignment, a pre-trial conference is scheduled. The pre-trial conference is a meeting among the following parties:

• Defendant
• Defendant’s attorney
• Judge
• Prosecuting attorney

These parties meet in cases scheduled for jury trial to allow for coordination of exhibits, witnesses, and legal issues prior to trial. A motion hearing is a hearing with the court that typically addresses admissibility of evidence at trial. A change of plea and sentencing may occur at this stage.

Change of Plea

A change of plea can occur at any point throughout this judicial process. Please note that It is important to provide a victim impact statement and restitution information early to ensure that information is available for the court’s consideration.

Trial

A defendant may request a jury trial, or a bench trial (a trial to a judge only). Felony jury trials can last a few hours to a few days, depending upon the number of witnesses and the complexity of the case. Felony bench trials typically last a few hours.

Sentencing

Once a defendant pleads guilty or is found guilty following a Trial, the court schedules a sentencing hearing. The victim has the right to present a victim impact statement and restitution information to the court for consideration at sentencing. The crime victim / witness coordinator or the Adult Probation and Parole Office may contact the victim to obtain restitution information or follow up on victim impact statements.