WYOMING SUPREME COURT CENSURES FORMER GILLETTE ATTORNEY

CHEYENNE–The Wyoming Supreme Court issued an order of public censure to former Gillette attorney Wendy S. Owens. The public censure stemmed from Owens’ lack of diligence in representing a client (Rule 1.3) and failure to abide by her clients’ directives (Rule 1.2). First, 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 did not do so. An Order was entered adopting the requested damages in their entirety bearing statutory interest of 10% per annum. The Order further required opposing counsel to file an Affidavit of Attorney’s Fees and required Owens to file a response/objection thereto within five days. Owens did not file an objection or response.  Judgment was entered against Owens’ client in the amount requested in the Affidavit of Attorney’s Fees bearing statutory interest of 10% per annum. In total, judgments of $11,971.20 plus interest were entered against Owens’ client, neither of which were objected to by Owens before the entry of the judgments. In response to the 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 judgments. 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 Court ordered Owens to pay an administrative fee in the amount of $750.00 and costs of $50.00 to the Wyoming State Bar.

Order of Public Censure

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