K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For June 5th, 2018 – Morning

THE NATRONA COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY SAYS CASPER BUSINESSMAN TONY CERCY HAS NO GROUNDS FOR CHANGING THE LOCATION OF A TRIAL ON ONE COUNT OF THIRD-DEGREE SEXUAL ASSAULT SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER.

MIKE BLONIGEN RESPONDED TO CERCY, WHO WAS ACQUITTED OF FIRST-DEGREE SEXUAL ASSAULT OR RAPE AND SECOND-DEGREE SEXUAL ASSAULT IN FEBRUARY.

CERCY WANTED A CHANGE OF VENUE IN THAT TRIAL, TOO, BECAUSE OF PURPORTEDLY ADVERSE PUBLICITY THAT MAY HAVE PREJUDICED THE JURY.

BUT BLONIGEN CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT CERCY'S PROBLEM WAS THEN, OR NOW, BECAUSE THE JURY CONSIDERED THE EVIDENCE AND DIDN'T CONVICT HIM.

IF THE PUBLICITY SO PREJUDICED THE JURY, HE WONDERED HOW THE ACQUITTAL HAPPENED.

CERCY'S MOTION FOR THE CHANGE OF VENUE WAS 299 PAGES LONG, MOSTLY WITH NEWS REPORTS FROM K2 RADIO AND OTHER MEDIA.

BLONIGEN RESPONDED THAT THE VOLUME OF COVERAGE ISN'T IMPORTANT, BUT RATHER THE EFFECT OF IT.

HE CITED A 1983 WYOMING SUPREME COURT DECISION THAT SAID A REQUEST FOR A CHANGE OF VENUE NEEDS TO CONSIDER THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF THE PUBLICITY AND THE PREJUDICE IT CAUSES AMONG POTENTIAL JURORS DURING JURY SELECTION.

BLONIGEN SAID THE DEFENDANT HAS THE BURDEN OF SHOWING THAT THE PUBLICITY IS THAT EXTREME, AND THE JUDGE CAN ONLY MAKE A DECISION ABOUT THAT AFTER A JURY IS SELECTED.
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THE FILINGS CAME FAST AND FURIOUS IN THE LAST HOUR OR SO BEFORE THE FRIDAY AFTERNOON DEADLINE FOR THOSE WHO ANNOUNCED THEIR INTENTIONS TO RUN FOR POLITICAL OFFICE IN THE AUGUST 21 PRIMARY, ACCORDING TO THE RECORDS OF THE NATRONA COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE.
THE MOST INTENSE INTEREST OCCURRED WITH THE SIX OF THE NINE OPEN POSITIONS FOR CASPER CITY COUNCIL.

AS OF THURSDAY EVENING, NO ONE HAD FILED TO RUN FOR THREE OF THE AVAILABLE SIX SEATS UP FOR ELECTION.

BUT BY THE END OF FRIDAY, THREE CANDIDATES FILED FOR THE OPEN WARD I IN CENTRAL CASPER.

INCUMBENT JESSE MORGAN DID NOT FILE FOR RE-ELECTION.

TWO FILED FOR THE UNEXPIRED TWO-YEAR TERM IN WARD II IN WEST CASPER.

INCUMBENT DALLAS LAIRD, WHO WAS APPOINTED LAST YEAR TO THE POST, DID NOT FILE.
IN WARD III IN EAST CASPER TWO MORE CANDIDATES FILED TO RUN FOR THE TWO FOUR-YEAR TERMS, JOINING FORMER CASPER POLICE OFFICER STEVE FREEL.

INCUMBENT KENYNE HUMPHREY ANNOUNCED LAST YEAR SHE WOULD NOT SEEK ANOTHER TERM.

THE GOVERNOR'S RACE, WITH NO INCUMBENT, COULD BE INTENSE WITH SIX REPUBLICANS AND FOUR DEMOCRATS RUNNING TO SEEK THEIR PARTIES' NOMINATIONS.

OF THE EIGHT STATE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICTS IN NATRONA COUNTY, TWO ARE UNCONTESTED, THREE HAVE ONLY REPUBLICANS IN THEIR PRIMARIES, AND ONLY THREE HAVE DEMOCRATS RUNNING SOLO FOR THEIR PRIMARIES.

THE NATRONA COUNTY COMMISSION RACE COULD GET HEATED, WITH EIGHT REPUBLICANS VYING FOR THE THREE OPEN SEATS.

FORMER COMMISSIONER TERRY WINGERTER IS THE ONLY DEMOCRAT WHO FILED TO RUN.
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THREE CASPER RE-ENTRY CENTER INMATES LEFT THE FACILITY FOR WORK AND DID NOT RETURN AS SCHEDULED OVER THE WEEKEND, PROMPTING THE NATRONA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO ASK FOR THE PUBLIC'S ASSISTANCE IN LOCATING THEM.

25-YEAR-OLD MICHAEL JOSEPH ELLIOTT IS DESCRIBED AS A WHITE MALE STANDING 6'2" TALL AND WEIGHING 176 POUNDS WITH BROWN HAIR AND BLUE EYES.

ELLIOTT LEFT THE FACILITY ON SATURDAY. HE HAD BEEN SENTENCED OUT OF LARAMIE COUNTY IN 2013 TO AN EIGHT- TO 14-YEAR PRISON TERM FOR AGGRAVATED BURGLARY.

ON SUNDAY, 33-YEAR-OLD JENNIFER MARIE COY ALSO DID NOT RETURN AS SCHEDULED. SHE IS DESCRIBED AS A WHITE FEMALE STANDING 5'9" TALL AND WEIGHING 137 POUNDS WITH BROWN HAIR AND GREEN EYES.

COY WAS SENTENCED BY DISTRICT JUDGE THOMAS SULLINS TO A THREE- TO FIVE-YEAR PRISON TERM FOR POSSESSION OF METHAMPHETAMINE AND MARIJUANA.

ALSO SUNDAY, 23-YEAR-OLD KALEB THOMAS GALLEGOS DID NOT RETURN TO CRC. HE IS DESCRIBED AS A HISPANIC MALE STANDING SIX FEET TALL AND WEIGHING 185 POUNDS. HE HAS BROWN HAIR AND BROWN EYES.

GALLEGOS RECEIVED A FOUR- TO EIGHT-YEAR SENTENCE ON A CHARGE OF CONSPIRACY TO DELIVER METH. HE WAS SENTENCED BY DISTRICT JUDGE CATHERINE WILKING AND ARRIVED AT CRC IN LATE MARCH.

ANYONE WITH INFORMATION ON THE WHEREABOUTS OF ANY OF THESE THREE INDIVIDUALS IS ASKED TO CONTACT THE NATRONA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
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WYOMING WILDLIFE RESEARCHERS HAVE DETECTED THE FUNGUS THAT CAUSES WHITE-NOSE SYNDROME IN BATS.

THE FINDING OF THE FUNGUS AT THE FORT LARAMIE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE IN GOSHEN COUNTY IS THE FIRST IN THE STATE.

BUT OFFICIALS SAY THE DISCOVERY DOES NOT MEAN THE BAT FOUND WITH FUNGUS HAS WHITE-NOSE SYNDROME.

THE BAT WITH THE FUNGUS WAS CAPTURED ON MAY 16 DURING SURVEYS BY FIELD BIOLOGISTS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING WHO WERE WORKING ON A PROJECT FUNDED BY THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE FOR WHITE-NOSE SYNDROME SURVEILLANCE AND RESPONSE.

FURTHER TESTING IS UNDERWAY ON FORT LARAMIE BATS TO CONFIRM IF THEY HAVE WHITE-NOSE SYNDROME.

WYOMING AND THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE ARE IMPLEMENTING STATE AND NATIONAL RESPONSE PLANS, WHICH INCLUDE MORE MONITORING AND LIMITING ACCESS TO SITES WHERE BATS ROOST AND HIBERNATE.