Target: Governor Mark Gordon, Wyoming
Goal: Strengthen Wyoming’s laws to protect all wildlife from cruelty and ban hunting with vehicles.
Recent images of an injured gray wolf in Sublette County, Wyoming, have ignited widespread fury across the globe. Allegedly, the wolf suffered at the hands of a local man who used a snowmobile to harm the animal before displaying it in a public bar and subsequently ending its life. This case highlights a severe gap in the state’s wildlife protection policies, as the current laws categorize wolves as predatory animals, thus excluding them from anti-cruelty protections.
Despite the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s swift action to fine the individual a mere $250 for possession of live wildlife, the punishment falls short given the gravity of the act. Videos and images circulating on social media show the wolf in apparent distress, intensifying public demand for stricter legal repercussions against such barbaric acts. The current legal framework fails to reflect the ethical standards expected by both local and international communities.
The call for action is clear. Wyoming must revisit its wildlife protection laws to prevent such acts of cruelty and ensure that all animals are respected, regardless of their predatory status. Public sentiment is strongly against the archaic practices of hunting with vehicles, often seen as a brutal and unethical method to control wildlife populations. Enforce strengthened legislation not only to protect wildlife but also to preserve the ethical hunting culture that many in Wyoming uphold.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Governor Mark Gordon,
We are reaching out to you, compelled by the recent disturbing events in Sublette County involving a gray wolf. This animal was reportedly muzzled, displayed in a public setting, and killed after being struck by a snowmobile. Such apparent acts of cruelty cannot go unaddressed in our society. We urge you to take immediate action to reform the laws governing wildlife protection in Wyoming.
The global reaction to the images of the muzzled wolf is a clear indicator of the moral obligation we hold to protect these creatures from unnecessary and cruel treatment. The minimal fine imposed in this case does not correspond to the severity of the actions reportedly taken against the wolf, demonstrating a significant flaw in our state’s approach to wildlife management.
In conclusion, we demand a revision of Wyoming’s wildlife protection laws, specifically to outlaw the use of vehicles in hunting. Such practices do not align with ethical hunting standards and tarnish the reputation of our state’s wildlife management. We implore you to lead the change towards comprehensive legal protections for all wildlife, ensuring acts of cruelty are not only condemned but also prevented.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Gregory “Slobirdr” Smith
This is a response to my petition that I received last week from The County Sheriff’s Office.Shame and a great disgrace not only on Wyoming,but especially president Biden! :
Hello and thank you for your message.
Please forgive the impersonal nature of this reply, your message is one of many I have received regarding Mr. Roberts.
The calls and messages I have received have similar themes and I will do what I can to address your concerns. Please keep in mind my legal obligations with respect to commenting on investigations and prosecutorial decisions- I cannot speak with specificity or discuss my intentions moving forward as that kind of information could hinder any investigation and infringe on a person’s due process rights they are guaranteed under the United States and Wyoming Constitutions. That being said, I cannot speak to the investigation being conducted by the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office regarding allegations of animal abuse made by an anonymous source to CowboyStateDaily.com.
$250 Fine
Nearly every message I have received has mentioned dissatisfaction with the existence of a citation that issued to Mr. Roberts in the amount of $250 that he later paid. Many people have voiced their concern by saying that punishment does not fit the crime that many feel he has committed.
The Wyoming Rules of Criminal Procedure outline a variety of ways a person can be charged with a crime. The most common ways are through either a citation or a criminal information. A criminal information is a charging document alleging facts indicating that a person has committed a specific crime along with a request that the person be either arrested or that a criminal summons be issued to bring the person to a court to answer for the alleged crime.
When a person is charged of a crime by citation, that citation can either be designated as “forfeitable” or “must appear.” A “must appear” citation is, as it sounds, a citation that requires a person’s appearance in court to be notified of the charges against them and given the opportunity to enter a plea of guilty or not-guilty, among other plea options. A “forfeitable” citation can be written, at the discretion of the law enforcement officer, for specified violations of Wyoming law for which the Wyoming Supreme Court has assigned a bond amount in its Uniform Bail and Forfeiture Schedule. The most common example of a forfeitable citation is for a traffic violation. When a person gets a speeding ticket and chooses to pay it, a judge is not involved at all nor is a prosecutor’s office- just the Clerk of Court who processes the payment and documents it in the necessary record keeping systems.
Here, Mr. Roberts was issued a citation for the violation of Wyoming Statute § 23-3-402, which refers to violations of Game and Fish Commission rules. The corresponding Game and Fish Commission rule for the citation is in Chapter 10, §11, which prohibits the possession of a live wolf. The specific rule language is available through the Wyoming Secretary of State’s website here: https://rules.wyo.gov/. See below for relevant citation and bond amount information.
Upon Mr. Roberts payment of the forfeitable citation (which acts as a no-contest plea), that case was effectively closed. The citation was issued prior to any allegations of abuse during the time he possessed the wolf and this office, nor the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office, was involved in the issuance of that citation.
Legality of Hunting Wolves in Wyoming
The State of Wyoming has control over wildlife management throughout the state, including wolves since 2017. The Wyoming Legislature has designated wolves as predatory animals in geographic areas known as “predator zones” and trophy game animals in geographic areas known as “trophy zones.” Based on facts derived from the closed citation case (see above), the animal was captured within a “predator zone.” As such, no hunting license was required. While the hunting of wolves is not allowed in many parts of the United States, it is legal in Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana.
Applicability of Animal Abuse Laws
Wyoming law prohibits animal abuse as detailed in Article 10 of Chapter 3 in Title 6 of the Wyoming Statutes. While there is language in Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 6-3-1008(a)(vii) that mentions the word ‘predatory animal,’ this language doe not exempt any treatment of wildlife from the entirety of the animal abuse statutes- rather it exempts lawful “hunting, capture, killing, or destruction” of predators, pests, and other wildlife. For example, it is lawful to trap a furbearing animal such as a beaver. In the beaver example, an animal could be captured with a leg hold trap and such action of setting a trap could result in the injury of the animal and subsequent suffering. While such a result may be undesirable to many, it is a legal practice in Wyoming and the wildlife exemption in the animal abuse statutes acts to prohibit a prosecutor like myself from charging an otherwise lawful trapper with a violation of the animal abuse statutes.
For clarity regarding lawful hunting or pursuit of predatory animals, and not to be construed as a comment or statement regarding the existence, or lack thereof, of any actual or known fact in the closed possession of a live wolf case for which Mr. Roberts was cited or any statement regarding facts existing in any potential other investigation or criminal case, it is lawful for a person in Wyoming to hunt predators from, with, or by use of a helicopter, automotive vehicle, trailer, motor-propelled wheeled vehicle, or vehicle designed for travel over snow. (Wyo. Stat. § 23-3-306) Therefore, any intentional killing of a predatory animal with the use of any of the aforementioned vehicles does not constitute animal abuse under the laws of Wyoming.
While many of the animal abuse provisions do not apply to the hunting, capture, killing, or destruction of a predatory animal, there are narrow circumstances where a person could be charged and convicted of animal abuse. I cannot and will not comment on any pending investigation.
Allegations of Abuse in news reports
I chose to become a prosecutor because I believe in seeking justice for all victims, especially the most vulnerable, and ensuring that all criminals are held accountable for their actions. I am passionate about what I do and give it my all; however, I must also act within the bounds of the law. It is my duty as a prosecutor under the Wyoming Rules of Professional Conduct, rule 3.8 to be specific, to ensure that the due process rights of every person accused of a crime are protected and honored. It is also my duty to prosecute ONLY cases supported by sufficient evidence. I cannot and will not prosecute any individual for which sufficient evidence does not exist.
I also feel compelled to remind everyone that the law presumes every person is innocent until lawfully proven guilty in a court. As such, any allegation of abuse is exactly that- an allegation. I fully recognize the outrage and concern when someone hears of things that Mr. Roberts has allegedly done. However, the pieces of information regarding what allegedly occurred on or about February 29th here in Sublette County contained in news outlets or social media videos are not verified facts. They are allegations from an anonymous source. While it is possible that some or all of these allegations could ultimately be verified through a lawful investigation, they cannot be used as the basis for any criminal charge unless and until they are vetted and supported by foundational information required by the Wyoming Rules of Evidence. Said another way, unless something can be proven in court beyond a reasonable doubt, it is not a fact that I or any other prosecutor can consider when making a charging decision.
Change.org Petition and other Calls for Action
While I certainly understand the desire for a person’s voice to be heard, the ever-increasing number of signatures on the Change.org petition and emails and telephone calls to my office will not be considered in any charging decision as doing so would violate my oath of office and Mr. Roberts’ due process rights. Please understand that I fully respect your right to voice your concern, outrage, and any other opinion regarding this or any other issue- I simply cannot charge a person with a crime simply because a lot of people have asked me to do so.
Threats of Violence
Unfortunately some individuals have chosen to express their frustration with the alleged actions of Mr. Roberts through the use of threats of violence and other hostile words. Some have also imputed his alleged actions upon other people that live here. Just as this situation has created difficulty for Wyoming’s management of predators and the potential fallout from this on livestock producers throughout the West, expressions of violence in response to the killing of an animal likewise hinders the efforts of those who want to put an end to such activity. Please understand that any threats of violence towards me, my team, or any other employees in a variety of different offices in Sublette County will not influence any prosecutorial decision of mine or any other prosecutor.
Not Doing My Job
The allegations regarding Mr. Roberts’ actions on February 29th were not known to the Sublette County Sheriff’s Office until April 2, 2024, mere hours before the world was notified by Mr. Heinz’s initial article on CowboyStateDaily.com. While I understand requests and demands for quick action, speed and quality rarely mix. Both Sheriff Lehr and I have taken oaths of office to uphold the United State and Wyoming Constitutions and have our own ethics and rules of professional conduct by which we must abide. Please know that the fact that Mr. Roberts has not been charged with a crime by this office at this time does not mean that Sheriff Lehr or myself are not doing our jobs.
If you have gotten this far in this email, thank you for taking the time. I fully recognize that you may still have questions after reading this email. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me- although I cannot guarantee a speedy response, I will do the best while also fulfilling the rest of my duties.
Thank you.
-clayton
Cody coward roberts is a sick sadistic killer that enjoys innocent animals suffering.He is a truck driver that should be investigated for other heinous crimes .He has probably done other sickening acts before this. Who knows what else he could be responsible for
It is clear that Wyoming has no ethical standards. Wyoming doesn’t care what the world thinks but the world sees Wyoming as a bunch of ignorant, heartless, arrogant fools. This is bad enough but the GOP conservatives are demanding all wolves be shot on sight in all the lower 48. Intelligence and compassion are limited values, if they exist at all. Cody Roberts is mentally ill. To see a wild animal not bothering you or anyone else and deliberately run over that animal with a 700 pound snow mobile is an act of a stupid coward and not a reasonable individual. I hope Roberts doesn’t have kids. To ask Wyoming to clean up its act and become caring people to other people and animals alike would be too great a strain. What a shame for the people of the world expecting more from America. Is this the best we have to offer?
He does have kids, that’s his daughter laughing in the background of the video. His mother was the bar worker strutting around in a wolf skin and mocking the poor animal. The whole family is inbred scum. Roberts has also laughed at the $250 fine saying it’s only as much as a round at the pub. He contracts for Game & Fish and has made a lot of money off them, so they have a clear conflict of interest. May his business go bankrupt. May his next snowmobile ride be his last!
Bunch of fucking redneck scum.
White trash scum family gets in the media by torturing and shooting an innocent young female wolf. The stupid slob Cody ran over the wolf with his snowmobile and continued to torture her, finally shouting the wolf in the head in his Mommy’s bar!! This jerk should be put in prison, and the “mom” should get her bar business taken away as an accessory to torture and murder of a wild animal!! Total ass hole white trash family!!
Well the GOOD citizens of Wyoming might like to stand up against these inbred daddy and cunt daughter and show them some JUSTICE on behalf of this innocent wolf. What makes people hate and love to torture and kill animals wild or domesticated is a real wonder
and each state should be doing something about these horrid crimes. I realize Wyoming is kind of uneducated and slow but the people with a functioning brain AND heart should make a lot of noise and get these changes needed and get rid of the scum that does these things, and getting rid of scum like Roberts is a good start. Then go after FISH AND GAME FOR CONFLICT and STUPID!!!