Wyoming courts could defer some juvenile misdemeanor cases

A court could pause the case and place an eligible juvenile on probation without entering a conviction. The process covers a juvenile with no prior misdemeanor or felony conviction who is charged with a misdemeanor the district attorney finds cannot be handled under other juvenile-law provisions. The district attorney must decide the misdemeanor cannot be handled under other juvenile-law provisions. The juvenile and the state must agree, and the court must approve the deferral. Probation may last up to 18 months and must include court check-ins, obeying the law, staying in Wyoming unless the court agrees, and paying restitution to each victim. If probation terms are violated, the court may enter a conviction after a guilty plea or finding, resume the trial, or transfer the case to juvenile court. The bill would apply to misdemeanors committed in Wyoming on or after July 1, 2026, and would take effect on that date.

The court could end probation and dismiss the charges without a conviction. This applies to a juvenile placed on probation through the deferral process. The court must find that the juvenile completed probation terms and has been rehabilitated to the court's satisfaction. A juvenile who was under 18 when the crime occurred may receive only one discharge and dismissal under this section. The court could discharge the juvenile at 18 months or at any time more than six months after probation began.

The bill text lists fees and a possible surcharge for juveniles placed on probation under this section. These provisions apply to criminal cases involving probation or deferred prosecution under the proposed juvenile deferral section. A $40 court automation fee and a $10 fee for indigent civil legal services must be imposed in a criminal case when the defendant is placed on probation under this section. The listed surcharge applies to a deferred prosecution and must be imposed.