Summary 2013 WY 136

Summary of Decision October 31, 2013

Justice Voigt delivered the opinion for the Court. Affirmed.

Case Name: JUDY E. BREDTHAUER v. DAVID J. BREDTHAUER

Docket Number: S-13-0114

URL: http://www.courts.state.wy.us/Opinions.aspx

Appeal from the District Court of Goshen County the Honorable David B. Park, Judge

Representing Appellant: W. Keith Goody of Cougar, Washington.

Representing Appellee: James A. Eddington of Jones & Eddington Law Offices, Torrington, Wyoming.

Date of Decision: October 31, 2013

Facts: The appellant and her husband sought a divorce and the matter proceeded to trial. Neither party timely requested the official court reporter to report and transcribe the proceeding pursuant to Rule 904 of the Uniform Rules for District Courts. Consequently, the official court reporter was unavailable for trial. Although the parties arranged for alternative court reporters to attend, the district court would not permit any resulting transcript to be considered an official transcript. The trial was held without a court reporter present, a divorce decree later issued, and this appeal followed. The appellant challenges the divorce decree and order denying her motion for a new trial, arguing that the district court erred by refusing to allow the trial proceedings to be transcribed by an unofficial court reporter.

Issues: Did the district court abuse its discretion by not permitting an unofficial court reporter to prepare an official transcript after the appellant did not timely notify the official court reporter of the proceeding as required under Rule 904 of the Uniform Rules for District Courts?

Conclusion: The district court abused its discretion in refusing to allow the appellant to use a substitute court reporter to transcribe the proceedings and prepare an official transcript, but we affirm because the appellant was not prejudiced by the ruling.

Summaries are prepared by Law Librarians and are not official statements of the Wyoming Supreme Court

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