K2 Radio News: Flash Briefing For March14th, 2018 – Morning

THE JURY IN THE TRIAL OF CASPER BUSINESSMAN TONY CERCY CAME CLOSE TO FINDING HIM GUILTY ON A FELONY COUNT OF THIRD-DEGREE SEXUAL ASSAULT LAST MONTH.
AT THE END OF AN EIGHT-DAY TRIAL ON FEB. 22, A JURY FOUND CERCY NOT GUILTY OF FIRST-DEGREE SEXUAL ASSAULT (or RAPE) AND SECOND-DEGREE SEXUAL ASSAULT OF A THEN 20-YEAR-OLD WOMAN AT HIS RESIDENCE AT ALCOVA LAKE IN JUNE.

THE JURY HUNG ON THE THIRD-DEGREE COUNT, RESULTING IN A MISTRIAL.

LAST WEEK, DISTRICT ATTORNEY MIKE BLONIGEN ANNOUNCED HE WOULD RETRY CERCY ON THAT COUNT BECAUSE OF THE WEIGHT OF THE EVIDENCE AND SPEAKING WITH SOME OF THE JURORS IN THE FIRST CASE.

CERCY'S ATTORNEYS RESPONDED AND ASKED THE COURT TO ACQUIT HIM BECAUSE OF THE NOT GUILTY VERDICTS ON THE FIRST TWO COUNTS.

BLONIGEN IMMEDIATELY RESPONDED, SAYING THE THREE ORIGINAL COUNTS CONTAIN DIFFERENT ELEMENTS, SPECIFICALLY ABOUT SEXUAL CONTACT COMPARED TO SEXUAL INTRUSION, AS WELL AS DIFFERENT TYPES OF INTENT.

CERCY'S ATTORNEYS CLAIMED THE JURY FOUND THE ALLEGED VICTIM'S TESTIMONY NOT CREDIBLE.

BUT BLONIGEN SAID THE JURY'S DECISION COULD HAVE BEEN BASED ON COMPROMISE, OR LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE INSTRUCTIONS AND POST-TRIAL INFORMATION SUGGESTS THE JURY WAS STRONGLY IN FAVOR OF CONVICTION.

NEITHER CERCY NOR HIS ATTORNEYS CAN PRESUME FROM THE MISTRIAL THAT THE PROSECUTION HAS NO CASE FOR A RETRIAL.

COURT RECORDS SAY THE ALLEGED VICTIM AND OTHERS WENT TO ALCOVA LAKE ON THE WEEKEND OF JUNE 23, AND ON SATURDAY NIGHT THEY WENT TI CERCY'S HOUSE NEAR THE LAKE.

SHE PASSED OUT ON A COUCH, WOKE UP, LOOKED DOWN AND SAW CERCY PERFORMING ORAL SEX.

THE ALLEGED VICTIM SAID CERCY THREATENED TO KILL HER IF SHE TOLD ANYONE.
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A FORMER WYOMING LEGISLATOR HAS THROWN HER HAT IN THE RING FOR A GOVERNOR'S RACE THAT
IS GROWING MORE CROWDED BY THE DAY.

FORMER DEMOCRATIC DISTRICT 11 REPRESENTATIVE MARY THRONE SAYS SHE WAS MOTIVATED BY THE
NEED TO CHANGE THE WAY THINGS ARE GETTING DONE, OR NOT AS THE CASE MAY BE.

WHEN IT COMES TO THE ECONOMY, THRONE SAYS EVERYONE TALKS DIVERSITY, BUT THE EXECUTION IS
WHERE WE ALWAYS FALTER.

AS FOR THE PARTISAN DIVIDE IN THE STATE, THRONE SAYS IT'S GOTTEN WORSE AND NOT REALLY WHO
WE ARE..
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OIL PRODUCERS HAVE GOTTEN MUCH BETTER AT SQUEEZING PROFIT OUT OF RELATIVELY MODEST OIL PRICES.

AND ENERGY ANALYST PATRICK DEHAAN OF GAS BUDDY DOT COM SAYS, PRICES ARE HOLDING IN THAT PROFITABLE RANGE.

BUT HE ALSO SAYS, PRICES ARE A LITTLE VOLATILE RIGHT NOW.

MEANWHILE, GAS PRICES ACTUALLY WENT DOWN A PENNY THIS WEEK.
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A CHEYENNE MAN WHO ADMITTED TO HAVING SEX WITH A 9-YEAR-OLD GIRL WHEN HE WAS 43 WILL LIKELY SPEND THE REST OF HIS LIFE IN PRISON.

LARAMIE COUNTY DISTRICT COURT JUDGE STEVEN SHARPE, LAST WEEK, SENTENCED 50-YEAR-OLD RONEY (RONNIE) MCCLINTOCK TO TWO CONSECUTIVE 25 TO 30 YEAR PRISON TERMS.

MCCLINTOCK PLEADED GUILTY TO TWO COUNTS OF FIRST-DEGREE SEXUAL ABUSE OF A MINOR IN DECEMBER. HE SAID THE INCIDENTS OCCURRED IN HIS VEHICLE BETWEEN JAN. 1, 2011 AND DEC. 31, 2012.

MCCLINTOCK WAS PREVIOUSLY CONVICTED IN NEBRASKA IN 2006 OF SECOND-DEGREE SEXUAL ABUSE OF A MINOR.