Republished with permission from Wyoming News Now, a TV news outlet covering the Cheyenne and Casper areas.
The criminal case against the Weston County clerk accused of defying a legislative subpoena will proceed after a judge rejected an attempt by her attorney to have the matter dismissed.
On Wednesday, Weston County Clerk Becky Hadlock had a motion hearing in the Natrona County Circuit Court, where her defense asked to toss a misdemeanor charge against her now rather than proceed to a jury trial.
Prosecutors in Natrona County filed the charge against Hadlock after she failed to appear before the legislative subcommittee when it met Sept. 29 in Casper.
Hadlock's defense argued the Wyoming Legislature's Management Audit Committee acted outside the scope of state law when one of its subcommittees subpoenaed Hadlock.
The subcommittee was investigating her actions related to a miscount during the November 2024 general election. The defense maintains the subpoena was invalid.
Gov. Mark Gordon recently instructed Wyoming Attorney General Keith Kautz to remove Hadlock from office, writing that Hadlock committed several acts of misconduct or malfeasance, including her failure to appear for a legislative subpoena and her filing of a false audit report in conjunction with her duties as the clerk of Weston County.
Voters in Weston County have twice petitioned Gordon to remove Hadlock from her post.
Secretary of State Chuck Gray expressed satisfaction with Gordon's decision, saying, "After over a year of investigation, hours of testimony, and multiple referrals about the conduct of the Weston County clerk, I am relieved to see that the Governor has requested the Attorney General to act on our requests to initiate removal of Weston County Clerk Becky Hadlock."
After a nearly hour-long hearing Wednesday morning in Casper, the judge concluded the committee possessed the authority to subpoena witnesses as part of its inquiry into hadlock and the election errors.
Hadlock faces a single count of failing to appear for a subpoena, which carries a maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $100 fine.
Hadlock's trial is set for next week, but her defense told WyoFile that he planned to seek a pause in the case while he asks the district court to consider an appeal of the judge’s decision.
