Prosecution to Move Forward Following Stay in UW Gun Case

LARAMIE, WY. (AP) — Albany County Attorney Peggy Trent says she’s moving forward with the prosecution of a Uinta County man who open-carried a gun on the University of Wyoming’s campus in 2018.

The Laramie Boomerang reports Trent’s office has filed for Albany County Circuit Court Judge Robert Castor to schedule a status conference, the first step in resuming the misdemeanor prosecution that’s been on hold for a year.

The actual prosecution of Williams was stayed while lawyers battled over the underlying legality of UW’s gun ban in Albany County’s district court — and later before the Wyoming Supreme Court.

Trent’s decision not to drop the case sets up the potential for the Wyoming Supreme Court to ultimately re-consider whether UW’s regulation banning possession of all firearms on campus is compliant with state law.

The defendant, Lyle Williams, was cited for trespassing by UW Police in 2018 after carrying a firearm at the UW Conference Center during last year’s convention of the Wyoming Republican Party.

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Information from: Laramie Boomerang, http://www.laramieboomerang.com