Court Access in Wyoming During the COVID-19 Pandemic

· COVID-19,Court
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With the COVID pandemic, you may be asking: Can I get to the courthouse? How do I show up for court? How do I file my case? What do I have to do in court?

First, if you have an attorney, ask your attorney! They can give you guidance. If one of our Legal Aid of Wyoming attorneys is representing you, call us. If you can’t remember who your Legal Aid of Wyoming attorney is, call 877-432-9955 or 307-432-0807.

If you don’t have an attorney, call the Clerk of Court where your case is. For a list of Clerks of District Court, click here. The Clerk of Court should be able to give you information about the court’s COVID-19 operation plan. The Clerk of Court can’t give you legal advice about your particular case, but they can give you information about things such as:

  • If your hearing will be held in-person, do you have to wear a mask or use hand sanitizer
  • Where you can get a mask if your hearing will be in-person and if masks are required
  • If your hearing will be by phone or videoconference, how to get the call-in number or videoconference link
  • Whether friends or family can accompany you to your hearing (some courts are restricting or prohibiting spectators in the courtroom due to COVID concerns)
  • What you should do if you have COVID symptoms or flu-like symptoms on the day of your hearing, or if your doctor or a health agency has told you to self-quarantine
  • What you should do if you are in a high-risk category (over age 65 or you have health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, lung disease that put you at higher risk for contracting COVID)
  • How to file papers in your case safely – can you file by email; does the court have a drop box

The Wyoming court system is using Microsoft Teams for videoconference hearings. To download Microsoft Teams to your smartphone, you can go to the Apple Store if you have an iPhone, or to Google Play Store if you have an Android-based phone (e.g., Samsung, Motorola). If you have an iPad, go to the Apple Store; if you have an Android-based tablet, go to the Google Play store. If you have a laptop, open up a Web browser (Safari; Microsoft Edge; Chrome; Firefox) and search for Teams. You will need to create a Microsoft account to use Teams; you can do this with your existing email account.

If you have questions about your legal situation, please call our hotline, 877-432-9955, Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Mountain time.

If one of our hotline attorneys can’t help you, go to Equal Justice Wyoming's find a lawyer page.

For other resources, call the Wyoming State Bar, 307-632-9061 and ask for their Attorney Referral Service or Modest Means Program, or go to Wyoming Free Legal Answers to ask your question.