Snyder elected district court judge

Governor Matt Mead announced Thursday he had appointed Dawnessa Snyder as District Court Judge for the Second Judicial Circuit in Carbon County.

Snyder will be replacing outgoing judge Wade Waldrip, who will be retiring from the bench July 7. Snyder, a native of Rock Springs, is currently chief deputy in the Carbon County Attorney's office, and has served as a prosecutor in the Carbon County Attorney's office since 2003.

Snyder obtained both her undergraduate and law degrees at the University of Wyoming, and was an adjunct professor at Western Wyoming Community College. During her time as a prosecutor, Snyder earned a reputation as a successful prosecutor of sex offenders, and was known for her compassion for child victims, Mead said in a press release.

Snyder said trials are her area of strength, and she has honed her skills as a trial prosecutor working under three county attorneys. Juvenile issues are another key area of expertise, she said.

Mead said in the release, "Dawnessa Snyder has earned a reputation as an outstanding prosecutor. She has broad trial experience and has handled a number of highly complex and sensitive trials as a prosecuting attorney."

All three nominees were well-qualified, Mead said, but the support Snyder received from fellow attorneys, law enforcement and community members, as well as victim advocates was a big factor in her selection for the bench in Carbon County.

"My main goal is to provide good continuity to the excellent system we have in place in Carbon County," Snyder said. "We have a history in Carbon County of having outstanding judges who are efficient, fair and very open, and I want to continue that legacy.

"I appreciate the confidence of the governor and the citizens of Carbon County in their support of my appointment as district court judge," Snyder added.