Felony Defense Attorney in Gillette, Wyoming

A felony conviction in Campbell County can put you behind bars for more than a year, and depending on the charge the maximum can reach decades. Wyoming is unusual in how it gets to that number. Instead of grouping felonies into classes, it writes the penalty into each individual statute, so your exposure is tied to the exact charge the Campbell County prosecutor files. Just Criminal Law has defended people facing felonies in Gillette since 2009. Christina L. Williams, our founding attorney, prosecuted criminal cases for the State before opening the firm here.

Wyoming Felonies: Penalties Set Crime by Crime

In Wyoming, a felony is any offense punishable by death or more than one year in a state correctional facility. A year or less makes it a misdemeanor (W.S. 6-10-101). What Wyoming doesn’t do is sort felonies into Class A, B, and C with a fixed penalty for each. The legislature assigns penalties offense by offense, which means the statute behind your charge is what defines the stakes.

The range is wide. Aggravated assault and battery carries up to 10 years (W.S. 6-2-502). Theft of property worth $1,000 or more carries up to 10 years and a $10,000 fine. Burglary can reach 10 years, and aggravated burglary 25. Where a statute names no fine, the court can still order up to $10,000 under W.S. 6-10-102. Wyoming also enhances repeat offenders: a third felony conviction can mean 10 years to life under W.S. 6-10-201. Knowing precisely which statute and subsection you’re charged under is the starting point of any real defense.

What a Felony Case Looks Like in Campbell County

Felony charges in Gillette move through the Sixth Judicial District. The early steps, the initial appearance, bond, and the preliminary hearing, happen in Campbell County Circuit Court. The preliminary hearing is where the State has to show probable cause; if the judge finds it, the case is bound over to the Sixth Judicial District Court for arraignment, then on to discovery, motions, and trial or a plea.

That preliminary hearing is more useful than it gets credit for. It’s the first time a neutral judge weighs whether the State even has enough to proceed. A charge that reads as a sure thing on the arrest report can look different once the evidence is actually presented and tested. We don’t waste that opportunity.

Time Works Against the Defense

Wyoming has no statute of limitations, so the State faces no deadline. You’re in a different position. Video gets recorded over, witnesses move or forget, and the small details that win cases fade. Bond conditions, no-contact orders, and travel restrictions also tend to stack up early. The sooner a defense lawyer is in the case, the more of it can still be shaped rather than salvaged.

Reading the State’s File Like the State Does

Christina Williams spent years on the prosecution side, deciding what to charge and how to prove it. We turn that around. We comb the State’s file for the soft spots: probable cause that’s thinner than it appears, a search that may not survive a suppression motion, a witness whose account won’t hold under cross, or counts stacked beyond what the facts justify to pressure a plea.

We don’t trade in guarantees. Plenty of felony cases don’t end in dismissal. But forcing the State to prove every element, and keeping a client from signing a plea that’s worse than the evidence warrants, is work that changes results.

Why Clients in Gillette Choose Just Criminal Law

• Former prosecutor perspective: Christina L. Williams charged and tried cases for the State.
• Hometown firm: We’ve defended Campbell County felony cases since 2009 and know the Sixth Judicial District.
• 25+ years, 10,000+ cases: Across Wyoming and South Dakota.
• Honest counsel: You’ll get the truth about your case, then a fight for it.

Frequently Asked Questions About Felony Charges in Gillette

What is the difference between a felony and a misdemeanor in Wyoming?

The line is drawn at potential prison time. A felony can send you to a state correctional facility for more than a year; a misdemeanor carries up to a year in county jail (W.S. 6-10-101). Because Wyoming doesn’t use felony classes, the maximum penalty comes from the specific statute you’re charged under.

What are the penalties for a felony in Wyoming?

They depend on the charge. Aggravated assault and battery carries up to 10 years; theft of $1,000 or more, up to 10 years and a $10,000 fine; burglary, up to 10 years. A third felony conviction can carry 10 years to life under the habitual criminal statute, and courts can add a fine of up to $10,000 where the statute is silent.

Can a felony be expunged in Wyoming?

Sometimes. You can petition 10 years after completing your sentence, including restitution, and only if you have no other felony convictions. Firearm-related and many violent felonies are not eligible, and the process requires filing a petition and meeting every requirement; nothing happens automatically.

What should I do first after a felony arrest in Gillette?

Stay silent and ask for a lawyer. You have the right to both, and using them costs you nothing. Don’t try to talk your way out of it at the scene, because Wyoming’s lack of a statute of limitations means there’s no benefit to explaining early, and your words can become the State’s evidence. Call us, and let us deal with law enforcement.

Charged with a felony in Gillette or Campbell County? Call Just Criminal Law at (307) 300-2240 for a confidential case review with a former prosecutor who knows the Sixth Judicial District.