March 22, 2024 |
Photo – Medicine Bow Marshal logo – Bigfoot99 file photo
The Town of Medicine Bow is finding out that it is more complicated to shut down the marshal’s office and eliminate court services than the governing body imagined.
In 2019, the Medicine Bow Marshal’s Office was created using $1 million of impact assistance funding. After five years, the small-town law enforcement agency is nearly out of money. In February, the Medicine Bow town council voted to dissolve its cash-strapped marshal’s department.
During the March 11th Medicine Bow town council meeting, Mayor Justin George said the town has two different options to officially shut down the marshal’s office. The first choice is be to undergo the lengthy process to repeal the ordinance that created the law enforcement department. The second choice is to simply reduce the number of marshals to zero. Mayor George said the second option will make it easier to bring the marshal’s office back if finances change.
The council voted to reduce the marshal’s office to zero and leave the ordinance in place.
With no marshal’s department to enforce local ordinances, Medicine Bow has no need for a municipal court.
Later during March 11th’s Medicine Bow town council meeting, Clerk of Court Genevieve Standish said shutting down a courthouse is almost unprecedented. Standish said Municipal Court Judge Mike Bennett wants to meet with the town next month to address the courthouse closure.
Standish said the town follows the rules set by the Carbon County District Court regarding document storage. The clerk of court said unlike the district court, citations issued in Medicine Bow can be destroyed after seven years.
Standish said the town needs Judge Bennett’s approval to dismiss all outstanding citations. Councilwoman Kristi Wickizer asked how many tickets remained unpaid. The clerk of court said dismissing all 12 outstanding cases will lose the town approximately $2,400.
Town Attorney Cameron Smith said a representative from the Wyoming State Archives has asked to meet with Clerk of Court Standish. Attorney Smith said the state wants to take possession of the town’s court records.
Unlike law enforcement citation records, Attorney Smith said court records must be kept indefinitely. The town attorney said the state wants both the citation and court records.
Town Clerk and Treasurer Karen Heath said before Medicine Bow had a marshal’s department, the municipal judge could bring charges against an individual for breaking a town ordinance. Heath said it is now illegal to have a court without a law enforcement agency.
Mayor George said the town could hire a code enforcement officer in the future. Having someone write citations for local ordiances will require the town to maintain its municipal court system. However, the town is unable to afford a code enforcement officer at this time.
Like with the marshal’s office, Mayor George suggested reducing the court staff to zero. Leaving the ordinance intact will allow the town to revive the court if necessary.
The Medicine Bow town council voted to reduce the court staff to zero and create a court records retention committee, consisting of Clerk of Court Standish, Mayor George, Clerk Heath, and Councilwoman Wickizer.
