Laramie County District Attorney Leigh Ann Manlove is denying the Wyoming State Bar’s professional violation charges against her, and is asking for the case to be dismissed.
In June, Manlove was charged through the Wyoming State Bar's Board of Professional Responsibility, which alleged she was not representing her community well as an elected official by exaggerating budget cuts, dismissing a high number of cases and creating a hostile work environment for her colleagues.
In her response, Manlove denied the charges against her and asked for the case to be dismissed because of the lack of "clear and convincing evidence."
The response states Manlove, who was elected in 2018, acted within her rights as an elected official to make decisions about how her office works, especially given the issues the pandemic has caused for budgets and workload.
Additionally, the original charges come from a combination of three separate disciplinary investigations, including one that was prompted when seven judges in Laramie County sent a letter concerned about Manlove's management of her staff and caseload as district attorney.
But Manlove alleges that investigation was not prompted by the letter, rather when the State Bar's counsel's petition to suspend Manlove was denied.
"I am glad for the opportunity to now be able to share information with my constituents to shed light on the criticism I have received as the District Attorney from our Laramie County judges and the Office of Bar Counsel. In a season of unprecedented variables, it is important that the citizens of Laramie County know the carefully weighed steps I took, and why," Manlove said in a statement.
