League of Women Voters Voter Guide 2004

Judicial Retention Second Judicial District


The Second Judicial District comprises Albany and Carbon Counties in Wyoming. It is the court of general jurisdiction for civil and criminal cases, having jurisdiction over cases involving more money than the circuit court may adjudicate. It has exclusive jurisdiction over probate, family law (divorce, child custody, alimony, child support, for example), juvenile court (criminal matters charged against those under 18), and felony criminal matters, real property matters, and hears appeals from the circuit court. There are two judges in the second judicial district; Judge Wade Waldrip, who sits in Rawlins, and Judge Jeffrey A. Donnell, in Laramie. They can hear cases in each other's courts if need be. A district court judge can sit on the state supreme court in place of a justice who cannot for some reason hear a given case. District court judges serve for six years and then must be voted back into office in a general election.

Jeffrey A. Donnell:
He was appointed to the Second Judicial District in 1996 to replace Arthur Hanscom. Before being appointed to the bench, Judge Donnell was in private practice as an attorney. He graduated from UW Law School with honors in 1977.

Bar Association Ratings: The Wyoming State Bar conducts a survey of judges annually, asking the attorneys to give ratings from one (highest) to five (lowest) in several categories: knowledge of substantive law - 1.7; application of rules of evidence & procedures - 1.7; judicial opinions well reasoned and clearly expressed - 1.8; open-mindedness & impartiality in judicial matters - 2.3; attentiveness to arguments of counsel - 1.8; courteousness and politeness toward attorneys and litigants - 2.1; deliberateness in reaching judicial decisions - 1.8; promptness in performing judicial duties - 1.7; diligence in attending to court duties and business - 1.7; age and health such that he can perform duties effectively - 99.3% yes; has the integrity to carry out the duties of judicial office - 94.8% yes. These ratings are in all but two categories higher that the average for district court judges, which range from 1.92 to 2.37, and on the questions of health and age, and integrity, are 95.59 and 95.22, respectively.