SHERIDAN — The four Sheridan County Commissioners sued by the Sheridan County Republican Party will remain in office through at least the end of their current terms following a ruling made earlier this week by Jude W. Thomas Sullins.
Sullins came out of retirement to preside over the two-day trial in which the party accused the four commissioners — Christi Haswell, Lonnie Wright, Nick Siddle and Tom Ringley — of deliberately violating their statutory obligations to appoint a new commissioner after Allen Thompson left the board.
The trial ended Feb. 14 and Sullins had 30 days to issue a decision in the case.
According to court documents obtained by The Sheridan Press, Sullins issued his ruling March 11, about a week before his deadline.
In his ruling, Sullins wrote the question of standing — whether the party could bring the suit — falls on what the Wyoming Legislature did to offer a cause of action. He ultimately determined the party did not have standing in the case.
“(Wyoming Statute 18-3-902) clarifies that it is the attorney general, at the governor’s direction, who may file the action,” he wrote.
Additionally, he wrote it is clear in Wyoming statute when the Wyoming Legislature intends to offer a private cause of action by offering explicit provisions to do so — he wrote that Wyoming Statute 18-3-523 does not offer those explicit provisions.
Sullins also determined the party failed to meet its burden of proof to remove commissioners, meaning it did not provide the evidence necessary to satisfy the legal requirements of the case.
“Competent and persuasive evidence was not presented at trial to establish that any of the four Defendant Commissioners (a) refused or neglected without just cause to perform any duties required of him or her as a member of the Board of County Commissioners, or (b) knowingly committed any act which by law is in violation of his or her official oath and bond,” Sullins wrote in his decision.
He ultimately ruled in favor of Haswell, Siddle, Wright and Ringley, which allows the quartet to remain in office through the end of their terms. Wright and Ringley are up for re-election in 2024 while Haswell and Siddle are up in 2026.
“It’s a relief and it just makes us feel good about going ahead and carrying on with our job,” Siddle told The Sheridan Press Wednesday morning.
Sheridan County Republican Party Chair Bryan Miller did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday morning.
Background on the lawsuit and trial
The party alleged Haswell, Siddle, Wright and Ringley failed to uphold their statutory responsibilities by not appointing a replacement for Thompson, who accepted the executive director position with the Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police in July 2023.
Court documents obtained by The Sheridan Press cite Wyoming Statute 18-3-523, which says if county commissioners, without just cause, refuse or fail to fulfill any of their duties, then charges may be made against them in front of a district court judge.
Thompson’s last day on the board was July 31, 2023, and the process to fill his seat began quickly thereafter.
Following several rounds of voting Aug. 11, 2023, Republican precinct committee people selected Michael Arzy, Bryan Helferich and Holly Jennings as candidates to fill the vacant seat.
Haswell, Wright, Ringley and Siddle interviewed the three candidates during a special meeting Aug. 29, 2023 and asked each of them 12 questions related to the role of the county commission, the importance of community involvement and their educational history.
Following an executive session at the special meeting, commissioners made motions to appoint each candidate. Each motion failed due to a lack of a second.
Sheridan County Republican Party precinct committee person Gail Symons filed a petition Aug. 30 requesting Fourth Judicial District Court Judge Darci Phillips fill the vacancy. Phillips interviewed the trio in an open courtroom Sept. 13, 2023 and ultimately appointed Jennings to the vacant seat.
The trial began Feb. 13 with a buzz in the Fourth Judicial District Courtroom as members of the public prepared for the legal proceedings. Haswell and Siddle testified on the first day of the trial, describing the voting process they used when considering commission candidates. The pair said the method chosen — where commissioners moved to appoint a candidate and waited for a second — was one of several options recommended by deputy county attorney Clint Beaver.
Wright and Ringley testified on the second day, largely echoing what Siddle and Haswell had shared on day one.
Miller also testified on the second day, during which he attempted to establish a pattern of animosity from the commissioners toward local Republican leadership. Sullins, though, ultimately dismissed much of Miller’s testimony.
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