County Judge: Casper court illegally sentencing some minors

CASPER, Wyo. (AP) - A Natrona County judge says the Casper Municipal Court has been illegally sentencing minors convicted of possessing alcohol.

The Casper Star-Tribune reports (https://bit.ly/2egzpzy ) that minors found guilty of the charge were generally sentenced to six months of unsupervised probation and a fine up to $750, but a Natrona County judge has recently ruled that city law limits sentencing to a fine.

Natrona County District Judge Catherine Wilking on Oct. 7 ordered that a minor’s sentence to probation be overturned due to a Casper ordinance that limits a fine to up to $750.

City attorneys argued to Wilking that state laws allow probation.

The Casper city attorney’s office has not said if they will appeal Wilking’s decision.

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Information from: Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune, https://www.trib.com