Haymon jury trial to commence Feb. 17-18

Logan Dailey
Posted 1/27/21

Eighth Judicial District Court Judge Patrick Korell presided over a pre-trial conference in the matter of the State of Wyoming versus Jody Haymon

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Haymon jury trial to commence Feb. 17-18

Posted

TORRINGTON – Eighth Judicial District Court Judge Patrick Korell presided over a pre-trial conference in the matter of the State of Wyoming versus Jody Haymon Thursday morning, Jan. 21, in the Goshen County District Courtroom. 

Haymon appeared in-person for a pre-trial conference with his attorney, Denny Harts. Haymon is scheduled for a jury trial to commence Feb. 17-18. 

Harts told the court he had lost access to evidence that had previously been made available to him by the court’s discovery process. Prosecuting Attorney Jeremiah Sandburg told the court he would immediately address the issue. 

The court discussed plans for conducting a jury trial with COVID-19 restrictions and safeguards. Korell told the court he had planned to have all participants screened prior to entering the courtroom. Participants will have their temperatures taken and will be asked COVID-19 screening questions.

In addition, the jury would be seated in the gallery, as opposed to the jury box. The jury would then be required to wear face masks and maintain social distancing protocols throughout the court proceedings.

Korell said the court would be live streaming the trial as the public would not be allowed in the courtroom. To access the audio-only live feed, go to https://www.courts.state.wy.us/live-broadcast/ and select Goshen County Courtroom. 

Korell also informed the court there would be changes made to the courtroom’s ventilation system to allow for more airflow through the courtroom, as this had been pointed out as an issue in the past with the interiorly isolated courtroom. 

Korell told the court he had verbal permission from public health officials to conduct the trial in the manner described.

Lastly, Sandburg asked the court to allow him to appear in the trial by video as a “virtual second chair” to Prosecuting Attorney Eric Boyer. Boyer would present evidence to the court, direct examine witnesses and serve as the lead attorney in the matter due to Sandburg’s physical absence. 

Harts said the defense did not have any objections to the matter and Korell approved the request. 

An Amended Information, filed by Boyer on July 28, 2020, charged Haymon with two counts of alleged aggravated battery, two counts of alleged felony property destruction, one count of alleged felony theft, one count of alleged theft-concealing, two counts of alleged aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude police officers, one count of alleged interference with a police officer, one count of alleged reckless driving and two counts of alleged possession of a controlled substance. 

Affidavits of Probable Cause filed by Trooper Jaime Wingard of the Wyoming Highway Patrol and Lieutenant Wesley Deen of the Goshen County Sheriff’s Office allege Haymon obtained a ride from Lingle resident Dakota Forkner. At one point, Haymon took the vehicle while Forkner was not looking. 

Deen found the vehicle traveling south on U.S. Highway 85 near mile marker 108. After locating the vehicle, Deen turned around and activated his emergency lights and siren to try and stop the vehicle, according to the affidavit. 

“As I did this Undersheriff Patrick was pulling to the shoulder of the north bound lane. The vehicle swerved and was driving directly at Undersheriff Patrick over the center line in a direct attempt to ram Undersheriff Patrick and at the last minute pulled back into the south bound lane,” Deen wrote in the affidavit.

A pursuit ensued, reaching speeds greater than 80 mph. During the pursuit, Deen alleges, “the vehicle continued to swerve left and right in an aggressive manner trying to hit my vehicle or block me from passing.” 

Goshen County Undersheriff Doug Patrick allegedly passed the pickup while Goshen County Sheriff Kory Fleenor pulled alongside the pickup. While Fleenor was alongside the pickup, the “vehicle intentionally swerved twice at Sheriff Fleenor’s patrol vehicle, just missing it,” according to the affidavit.

“The vehicle then intentionally rammed Sheriff Fleenor’s patrol vehicle, causing the vehicles to collide, this happened twice very quickly.”

The pursuit continued until the driver drove into a field. The vehicle came to rest, and the driver exited the vehicle to run away on foot. After a short pursuit on foot, the driver “stopped and followed the verbal commands to lay on his stomach,” as stated in the affidavit.

The driver was arrested and later identified by Fleenor with a Louisiana identification card as Jody Haymon, according to the affidavit. 

The affidavit indicated Deputy Herb Irons had located Methamphetamine and Marijuana in the vehicle but did not specify when or where a search of the vehicle was conducted and under what circumstances.

The affidavit filed by Wingard indicated he had found an abandoned vehicle on U.S. Highway 85 near mile marker 136. According to the affidavit, Wingard found the vehicle unoccupied with the driver’s side window partially down and the gas cap open. Wingard wrote he assumed the driver ran out of gas and got a ride to town in the affidavit.

Wingard’s affidavit states he ran the vehicle’s Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and was told the vehicle was reported stolen, and Haymon was listed as the possible driver for the vehicle. 

Wingard wrote in the affidavit, “I found a black zippered bag in the backseat with miscellaneous paperwork including court paperwork, a social security card and a High School Diploma all with Jody Lynn Haymon’s name listed.”