Thomas v. Justice Court of Washakie County

Lenora Eloise Thomas, charged in Justice Court of Washakie County, Wyoming with the crime of manslaughter in violation of § 6-58, W.S. 1957 by original proceedings in this Court seeks to prohibit the said justice court and Ray Pendergraft, a non-lawyer justice of the peace of that court, from proceeding with preliminary hearing of the matter. On or about January 31, 1975 one Jerry Wayne Thomas, husband of the petitioner, was found dead alongside U.S. Highway 20, approximately nine miles north of Worland, Wyoming. Petitioner was arrested and charged with voluntary manslaughter, a felony. A preliminary hearing was set for April 7, 1975 by Ray Pendergraft, the acting and qualified justice of the peace of Washakie County, who is not an attorney. The present proceeding was filed after he had denied motion of the accused to call in an attorney-justice to hear the matter.