K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For June 22nd, 2018 – Morning

THE OUTGOING CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE WYOMING SUPREME COURT NAMED HIS SUCCESSOR THURSDAY.

THE SUPREME COURT ANNOUNCED CHIEF JUSTICE E. JAMES BURKE, WHOSE LAST DAY IN THAT CAPACITY IS JUNE 30th, NAMED MICHAEL K. DAVIS AS THE COURT'S 38TH CHIEF JUSTICE BEGINNING JULY 1st.

GOV. MATT MEAD APPOINTED DAVIS TO THE COURT IN AUGUST 2012.

BEFORE THAT, DAVIS WAS A DISTRICT COURT JUDGE IN THE FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT IN CHEYENNE.

HE SERVED IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY FROM 1973 TO 1975.

HE RECEIVED A BACHELOR OF ARTS DEGREE, SUMMA CUM LAUDE, FROM WESTERN STATE COLLEGE OF COLORADO, AND A JURIS DOCTORATE WITH HONOR FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING COLLEGE OF LAW IN 1980.

DAVIS PRACTICED LAW WITH YONKEE AND TONER LAW FIRM IN SHERIDAN FROM 1980 TO 2006, THEN WORKED IN THE FIRM'S CHEYENNE BRANCH BEFORE BECOMING A DISTRICT COURT JUDGE.

HE WILL ASSUME THE ADMINISTRATIVE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE WYOMING COURT SYSTEM.

DURING HIS FOUR YEAR TERM, HE WILL SERVE AS THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF JUDICIAL POLICY, CHAIRMAN OF THE JUDICIAL NOMINATING COMMISSION, AS WELL AS SERVE AS THE CHIEF JUSTICE.

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A MAN WHO ADMITTED EARLIER THIS YEAR THAT HE ATTACKED A LONGTIME FRIEND WITH A HAMMER HAS BEEN GIVEN A CHANCE TO AVOID SPENDING TIME IN PRISON.

DISTRICT JUDGE CATHERINE WILKING ON THURSDAY SENTENCED 28-YEAR-OLD DAVID KEITH TAYLOR TO THREE YEARS OF SUPERVISED PROBATION WITH AN UNDERLYING, SUSPENDED PRISON SENTENCE OF SIX TO EIGHT YEARS.

TAYLOR PLEADED GUILTY IN MARCH TO A SINGLE COUNT OF AGGRAVATED ASSAULT AS PART OF A PLEA AGREEMENT. IN EXCHANGE, PROSECUTORS AGREED TO RECOMMEND THAT TAYLOR SERVE NO MORE THAN FIVE YEARS IN PRISON.

COURT DOCUMENTS ALLEGED THAT IN LATE NOVEMBER, TAYLOR HIT AN EDGERTON MAN IN THE HEAD WITH A HAMMER. TAYLOR HAD BEEN INVITED TO THE VICTIM'S HOME.

THE VICTIM INITIALLY TOLD AUTHORITIES THAT TAYOR HAD TRIED TO FORCE A HUG UPON THE VICTIM, AND BECAME PHYSICALLY AGGRESSIVE WHEN THE VICTIM REBUKED HIM.

TAYLOR ENDED UP HITTING THE VICTIM IN THE HEAD WITH A FRAMING HAMMER.

PUBLIC DEFENDER CURTIS CHENEY, IN RECOMMENDING THAT TAYLOR RECEIVE A PROBATIONARY SENTENCE AS RECOMMENDED IN THE PRESENTENCE INVESTIGATION REPORT, DESCRIBED HOW THE FACTS OF THE CASE HAD "EVOLVED" SINCE THE NIGHT OF THE ASSAULT.

CHENEY EXPLAINED THAT AFTER SOME TIME, THE VICTIM SPOKE WITH INVESTIGATORS AND TOLD THEM THAT THE ASSAULT DID NOT ACTUALLY STEM FROM A FORCIBLE HUG. RATHER, THE THREE MEN AT THE VICTIM'S HOME THAT NIGHT HAD BEEN MAKING A METHAMPHETAMINE PIPE BEFORE THE ASSAULT OCCURRED.
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CHEYENNE, WYO. (AP) - U.S. CENSUS FIGURES INDICATE THAT WYOMING'S POPULATION IS GETTING OLDER...

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RIVERTON, WYO. (AP) - THE WIND RIVER HAS RETURNED WITHIN ITS BANKS IN CENTRAL WYOMING, BUT THE GREEN RIVER HAS RISEN ABOVE FLOOD STAGE NEAR LA BARGE IN THE SOUTHWEST PART OF THE STATE.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE REPORTED MINOR FLOODING ALONG THE GREEN RIVER ON THURSDAY MORNING IN SUBLETTE AND LINCOLN COUNTIES.

IT SAYS SOME HOMES AND FIELDS SOUTH OF LA BARGE WERE SEEING HIGH WATER.

THE RIVER CRESTED THURSDAY AND WAS EXPECTED TO BEGIN A SLOW DECLINE.

IN FREMONT COUNTY, THE WIND RIVER CRESTED MORE THAN 2 FEET (61 CENTIMETERS) ABOVE FLOOD STAGE AT RIVERTON THIS WEEK BEFORE STARTING TO RECEDE ON WEDNESDAY.

THE HIGH WATER IN WESTERN AND CENTRAL WYOMING WAS BEING CAUSED BY RECENT HEAVY RAIN ON TOP OF RIVERS AND STREAMS ALREADY SWOLLEN WITH RUNOFF FROM THE MOUNTAIN SNOWPACK