“This seems totally normal to me.” Judge dismisses alleged “corruption” case against Teton County, WY commissioners
UINTA COUNTY, Wyoming (KIFI) - A pre-trial hearing in the lawsuit between Tim Rieser and two Teton County, Wyo. commissioners ended Tuesday with the case being dismissed with prejudice. Rieser accused the two commissioners of conspiring to oust Jackson's former fire chief.
"I think this is a very easy call," Judge James Kaste said.
Rieser's lawsuit, served in late February, surrounds the actions of county commissioners Luther Propst and Greg Epstein. He said they took force to remove the former Teton County Fire Chief, Stephen Jellie.
Rieser accuses the men of acting "in a planned and coordinated way" to harm Jellie's reputation and fire the former chief.
In Tuesday's hearing, defense attorney Khale Lenhart asked the court to dismiss the case because the lawsuit needed to be brought to the court by the state attorney general. Lenhart argued Rieser had not properly filed the case and did not have the standing to bring the charges before the district court.
"Some grand conspiracy. Even if true, you still have to tie that to a duty of office of neglect or violation of the oath of office. And I don't think that's being done in this case," Lenhart said.
He argued that regardless of whether or not Rieser was right in his assertion, Chief Jellie had already signed a settlement agreement surrendering any right he had to make legal complaints against the commissioners or county.
Lenhardt concluded that Rieser had no legal standing to make the lawsuit since he had no personal injury.
In response, Rieser said he laid out in "80 pages of a concerted effort planned, for most of which was gleaned from public record. It's not in dispute, but that's Epstein and Propst, carefully engineered the removal of the fire chief."
"80 pages is quantity. What I'm wondering is what is your injury?" Judge Kaste asked Rieser.
"I am an aging man. I need medical care. I have a home I live in. I need fire service," Rieser responded. "The destabilization through corruption and breaking laws in Title VI of the Wyoming statutes is a direct threat to me as an individual," Rieser said.
Judge Kaste responded he didn't see an issue in the actions of the county commissioners as outlined in Rieser's lawsuit.
"This seems totally normal to me," said Judge Kaste.
Judge Kaste ruled that Rieser had no legal standing in the case and dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice, meaning Riser could not file the suit again.
"I can't, for the life of me, understand what personal stake he has in the outcome of these proceedings that differs in any way from the general public," said Judge Kaste.
