Wyoming Supreme Court Censures Former Gillette Attorney

The Wyoming Supreme Court has issued an order of public censure to former Gillette attorney Wendy Owens.  According to a media release from the Wyoming State Bar, the public censure stemmed from Owens’ lack of diligence in representing a client and failure to abide by her clients’ directives. Owens missed a deadline to file an objection to the opposing party’s submission of itemized damages. After missing the deadline, but before an Order was entered, Owens informed her client that she would file an objection the following week but failed to do so.

An Order was entered adopting the requested damages in their entirety bearing statutory interest of 10 percent per annum. The Order further required opposing counsel to file an Affidavit of Attorney’s Fees and required Owens to file a response within five days. Owens did not file an objection or response. Judgment was then entered against Owen’s client in the amount of $11,971 plus interest. Owens did not object to the judgements against her client before the entry of the judgements.

In response to her client’s concerns about the judgments entered against her, Owens informed her client that she is judgment proof and that there are no enforceable consequences to her if she does not satisfy the judgements. Owens also provided her client with a referral to an out-of-state entity providing free legal services so that she could obtain information about filing bankruptcy to discharge the judgment. In approving the stipulation of Owens and Deputy Bar Counsel for a public censure as the appropriate sanction for Owens’ misconduct, the Wyoming Supreme Court ordered Owens to pay an administrative fee of $750 and a fee of $50 to the Wyoming State Bar.