Understanding Civil Court Records in Wyoming

Civil court records in Wyoming are official documents that record civil actions and proceedings. These are non-criminal cases involving multiple parties (individuals, businesses, or government agencies) where one party (or parties) files a civil lawsuit against another to settle a legal dispute. The party that initiates a civil action is known as the plaintiff, while the defendant is the party being sued.

The Wyoming judiciary primarily maintains civil court records. These records encompass different documents, including but not limited to motions, pleadings, summons, judgments, and transcripts. They are presumed to be open to the public under Wyoming's Rules Governing Access to Court Records (Rule 3), except when state or federal laws state otherwise. The Wyoming Public Records Act, codified in Wyoming Statutes § § 16-4-201 to 205, reinforces this rule, reflecting the state's commitment to transparency.

Civil Court Record Statistics Reported by Wyoming Courts

In 2023, 21,983 incoming civil cases were filed in Wyoming. These included 258 torts, 104 civil appeals, 111 real property cases, 2,515 small claims, and 13,527 contract cases. Overall, Wyoming has seen a notable decline in civil filings in recent years. Between 2020 and 2023, the total number of incoming civil cases dropped by 28.11%, with the sharpest decrease occurring between 2020 and 2021-a drop of 18.82%. By contrast, the decline between 2022 and 2023 was minimal at just 1.97%.

How Civil Records Differ from Criminal Records in Wyoming

In Wyoming, the primary difference between civil and criminal records is their subject matter. Civil records contain details about civil litigations, which entail legal disputes between two or more parties, such as individuals, government agencies, or businesses. Meanwhile, criminal records provide information about the prosecution of a crime, which involves the government filing charges against an individual for an alleged crime. Other key differences between civil and criminal records are detailed in the table below:

Category	Civil Record	Criminal Record
Legal Focus	Settlement of a legal dispute between multiple parties	Prosecution of crimes by the government.
Case Titles	Plaintiff v. Defendant	The State of Wyoming v. Defendant
Potential Outcome	Monetary settlement, injunctions, and declaratory judgment.	Fines, restitution, probation, imprisonment.
Public Access	Mostly public, with certain exceptions, such as those outlined in Rule 6 of the Wyoming Rules Governing Access to Court Records, as well as other relevant state and federal statutes.	Unavailable pursuant to Rule 6 (x) of Wyoming Rules Governing Access To Court Records
Governing law	Wyoming Rules of Civil Procedure	Wyoming Rules of Criminal Procedure

Structure of the Civil Court System in Wyoming

The Wyoming court system consists of five (5) distinct levels: Supreme, District, Chancery, Circuit, and Treatment & Diversion courts. Each level's roles and jurisdiction differ pursuant to Wyoming Statutes Title 5. District Courts are the state's trial courts of general jurisdiction. These courts have unlimited authority over most types of civil cases. Meanwhile, the Chancery and Circuit courts have limited jurisdiction of specific types of civil cases.

A detailed breakdown of the respective civil jurisdictions of the District, Chancery, and Circuit courts in Wyoming is provided in the table below:

Court	Type of Civil Cases
Wyoming District Courts	Has general jurisdiction over all civil cases where the sought-after damages or recovery exceed $50,000, and small claims exceeding $6,000. These courts also handle family law, juvenile, and probate matters.
Wyoming Circuit Courts	Have original jurisdiction to hear all civil cases under $50,000 and small claims under $6,000.
Wyoming Chancery Court	Has jurisdiction to decide civil claims stemming from commercial, business, and trust disputes involving requests for declaratory or injunctive relief and money damages over $50,000.

It is worth noting that Wyoming's procedures for resolving civil cases, as established in the Wyoming Rules of Civil Procedure, differ significantly from those concerning criminal cases.

Public Access to Civil Court Documents in Wyoming

According to Wyoming's Rules Governing Access to Court Records (Rule 3), civil court documents are presumed to be open to the public, and anyone may access them. However, this rule is not absolute. Federal or state statutes, court orders, administrative regulations, and court rules may require specific court records or information to be kept confidential. For instance, Rule 6 outlines a partial list of court records that are restricted from public access. Some examples include mediation proceeding records, guardianship and conservatorship records, involuntary commitment records, sealed records, and discovery materials.

There is no central repository that individuals may use to access public civil court documents in Wyoming. Instead, these documents are independently maintained by and accessible through the clerk's office of the court that heard a case. Depending on a case's specifics, it may fall under the jurisdiction of different courts, such as a county's District Court, Circuit Court, or the State's Chancery Court. Thus, record seekers must ascertain the court where a civil case originated to access the case's court documents.

The way each court operates may vary. Nonetheless, an individual must know some identifiable information about the sought-after civil case, such as the case's party name or case number, to facilitate a search. Courts usually accept or allow access to civil court records through one of the following: in-person, by mail, or online:

In-person

Most courts allow the public to visit their clerk's office and search public court records for free through on-site terminals they provide. For example, public court records of civil cases handled by the Teton County District Court are accessible through the Public Records Terminal at the Teton County District Court Clerk's office. Records dating back to 2014 are available for free on the terminal. Interested persons may also request to view physical public case documents recorded before 2014 at the office.

By mail

Some courts also accept written requests for public civil court documents in their custody. Record seekers may request these documents by drafting a written request containing identifying information about the sought-after record and mailing it to the court clerk's office. These types of requests are usually subject to a $10 fee per search. Courts may also accept phone-in requests. For instance, record seekers may contact the Teton County Circuit Court at 307-733-7713 to request searches for public civil court records that the court's clerk maintains.

Online

Public court documents of civil cases handled by Wyoming's Chancery Court are available online through the court's search portal. However, only registered users may access the portal for a fee.

Types of Civil Cases Filed in Wyoming Courts

Some of the most common types of civil cases filed in Wyoming courts include:

• Tort claims: These are lawsuits based on wrongful acts, whether intentionally or unintentionally, that one person commits against another person that causes them harm
• Contracts dispute: These cases involve disagreements over the terms or conditions of a contract or a breach of contract.
• Debt collection: These result from failing to pay a debt when it is due.
• Real property rights: These claims usually stem from disagreements over a property's ownership rights.
• Emancipation of Minors: These cases involve minors seeking the legal power of an adult. Emancipation makes a minor legally no longer a dependent of their parent or legal guardian and entirely responsible for taking care of themselves.
• Transcripts and registration of foreign orders: This is a legal process that domesticates a foreign order, making it enforceable within Wyoming.

It is worth noting that most civil cases fall under the jurisdiction of the District Courts in Wyoming. However, Circuit Courts have limited jurisdiction over civil cases under $50,000 and small claims under $6,000. Meanwhile, the Chancery Court handles civil cases concerning commercial, business, and trust disputes.

Information Captured in Wyoming Civil Court Files

Wyoming civil court files contain official details about civil litigation, including the names of the case's parties, the case number, the filing date, and the case's final disposition. Generally, civil court files are composed of various documents and other materials filed with or generated by the presiding court during a case's court proceedings. These include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Complaint
• Answers
• Transcripts
• Final judgment
• Motion arguments
• Motions and petitions
• Evidence filed by the case parties
• Witness statements and testimonies
• The original complaint that commenced the civil action

Although most civil court records in Wyoming are public, they may contain confidential information, like personal identification numbers, Social Security numbers, and financial account details. This confidential information is usually redacted before the record is made public.

Retention and Archiving of Civil Court Records in Wyoming

According to the Local Government Retention Schedule provided by Wyoming's State Archives, civil court records are retained permanently. However, the retention period for civil cases related to small claims, stalking, family violence, and sexual assault is 10 years after the case's conclusion or the last activity in the case is conducted. Both digital and paper civil court records are subject to the provisions of the schedule.

In Wyoming, permanently retained civil court records are typically transferred to the State Archives after a period of extended inactivity. Provided an individual has sufficient information about an archived case, such as the name of the presiding court and the docket or case number, they may request the case's archived court records by visiting or contacting Wyoming's State Archives at:

References and Official Resources

Civil court records in Wyoming are maintained and accessible through the following official channels, public offices, and government agencies.

• County District Court: This resource may be used to find District Court locations, their respective court clerks' contact information, and the District Court Rules.
• County Circuit Court: Provides access to the Circuit Court Rules, Circuit Courthouse locations, and the contact information of their respective court clerks.
• Wyoming Chancery Court: This provides the physical address of the Chancery Court and the contact information for the court clerk's office.
• Wyoming's State Archives: This agency is responsible for maintaining old court records.