Ask a Deputy
Curious about laws in Teton County or the state of Wyoming? Ever wonder what
the stripes on a uniform sleeve mean? Purchased a new car and wonder how long
you have to register it?
Submit your questions below and have them answered by a Deputy Sheriff. Answers
will be posted below within 2-3 business days. If your question is specific and
personal in nature please call our communications center at 307.733.2331 to
speak with a deputy about your situation.
Any information provided via this Ask a Deputy segment should NOT be construed
as legal advice.
Is it legal to ride a bike on the highway facing traffic?
No, it is not legal for people to ride facing traffic. Wyoming State Statute number 31-5-702 gives bike's the same rights and duties as a vehicle. Statute number 31-5-704 requires bike riders to ride in the same direction as traffic, as wells as riding to the far right as practicable without impeding the normal and reasonable flow of traffic.
Thanks for your question,
Deputy Chad Sachse.
I have heard rumors of increased burglaries and possibly a recent forced entry assault here in Jackson. Where is the best place to go, besides the paper, to keep apprised of this type of criminal activity in our community?
There has been an ongoing rash of Auto Burglaries in our community. There have also been a few cases where the suspect or suspects have entered unlocked homes. The key point in all of these crimes is the homes and vehicles have been unlocked. Never leave valuables in your car, especially unlocked cars. Lock the doors and windows to your home. The suspects in these crimes are receiving easy cash rewards because people simply refuse to lock their homes and cars.
The Sheriff's Office and Jackson Police are actively investigating these crimes. We need the publics help. We urge all citizens to be vigilant in their neighborhoods and report any suspicious persons or vehicles immediately.
Fortunately, there have been no violent encounters in these incidents. The most obvious first line of defense in keeping you and your family safe in your home is locking your doors.
The Sheriff's Office strives to keep the public informed by making press releases to the media and posting information here on our web site. There are no data links to crime statistics available from our records at this time.
I moved to the area a few months ago and was wondering about your Law or Laws regarding Jeep Wranglers. Is it lawful to drive them without their doors on etc...?
It is not against the law in Wyoming to operate your Jeep without the doors on it, however; you are required to have a driver's side rear view mirror. So if your rear view mirror is attached to the door that you are going to remove, you will need to get a mirror that you can mount on the vehicle after the door is removed.
Thanks for your question.
Deputy Chad Sachse
Is it legal in the State of Wyoming to ride in the open bed of a pickup truck?
Generally, yes it is legal; It is not against the law to ride in a vehicle that is not outfitted with seat belts, ie; cars made before seat belts were required in cars; or ones without enough seat belts for all passengers. Therefore, one can assume that you can ride in the bed of a truck because it has no seat belts and it was never designed to have seat belts. An exception to that, though, under Wyoming State Statute 31-5-1402, is that all persons under the age of 12 'must' have a seat belt on; unless it falls under the five exceptions listed in 31-5-1402.
Deputy John LaBrec
My girlfriend received a sign hanging on her door from the sheriffs office for me saying that we have an important matter to discuss. The thing that I was wondering is why would they go to her house for me when I never lived there and what does it usually mean for a sheriff to go to someones house looking for them?
There are many reasons a Sheriff's Deputy may come knocking on your door. Most commonly when there is a note left or an orange tag asking you to contact the Sheriff's Department, it means there is a paper service we are trying to get to someone who lives, may have lived, or is currently couch surfing at that particular address. Paper services can be anything from a subpoena to civil court papers.
In order to try to locate someone, whether it be for a paper service or just when investigating a call for service, the Deputy will research information in order to try to find the person(s) they need to speak to. Sometimes the information comes from the person who called the Sheriff's Office and asked us to assist them. For example, if Mr.Smith calls and says he is concerned because he has not heard from his son in the last month but he knows he was seeing a girl by the name of Ms.Jones who lived somewhere in Jackson, the Deputy assigned to assist Mr.Smith will look for any previous contacts with his son. If there are no previous contacts with his son, then the Deputy will try to locate the girlfriend in order to check the welfare of Mr.Smith's son.
Hope that answers your question.
Deputy Dani Demers
