GOSHEN COUNTY – The Goshen County Circuit Court  met in session at precisely 10:30 a.m. for the plea change of Torrington man, Jacob Lechleidner.

Lechleidner chose to plead guilty to charges of stalking a female victim known as D.R., after reaching a plea agreement with the state of Wyoming.

Presiding over the proceeding was court Judge Nathaniel Hibben, with Goshen County Prosecuting Attorney, Colby Sturgeon, representing the state of Wyoming.

Public Defender Denny Harts represented defense on behalf of Lechleidner.

The proceeding began with Judge Hibben addressing the defendant, who would admit to sending lewd and obscene messages to said female victim between May and June of 2023.

“Mr. Lechleidner I’ll ask you again at this time of the allegation that you did commit a criminal offense of stalking,” Hibben began. “Would you agree that those were both lewd and obscene?”

Lechleidner answered in the affirmative as Harts spoke before the court on behalf of his client.

“That is correct and fines will be left up to the court,” Harts stated. “Jacob were you in Goshen County between May 20 and June of 2023? Did you engage in a course of conduct that would reasonably be likely to harass a female victim, repeatedly calling and telling her lude and obscene statements? Were you informed by law enforcement to not have any contact?”

The defendant once again answered affirmatively to all questions before the court.

“Fines and fees are up to the court Your Honor,” Harts continued. “We would ask for court leniency and that the court suspend fines. Mr. Lechleidner is on financial hard times. He has applied for disability, with an appointment to review his application for that disability. I do believe that a 30 day jail suspended sentence is adequate. I would ask that the court suspend any fines, court costs and public defender fees.”

Prosecuting Attorney Sturgeon concurred with Harts noting a suspended sentence, supervised probation, as well as continued no contact with the victim was to be a reasonable consequence.

“I do appreciate Mr. Lechleidner coming before the court and taking responsibility for the matter,” Sturgeon stated.

In response to hearing the admittance of Lechleidner, Judge Hibben proceeded to accept the guilty plea and address the defendant as well as all in attendance the terms of sentencing and probation.

“Mr. Lechledner I will accept and you will be found guilty,” Hibben said. “There are a couple things on my mind, mainly due to the nature of what you have done. I know what the probable cause affidavit alleges, and know in a factual basis that you did make both lewd and obscene comments. That’s not good, and I know you would agree with that. I know you have been on bond for several months, almost six months and have not been in court for bond revocation. I will tell you from prior experience, if someone is likely to reoffend they are likely to do that during an extended bond period. This is suggesting they are not able to control themselves until they reach the criminal sentence phase, which applies to you. I want you to know there have been several individuals who have come before the court for these same charges, and those individuals received healthy jail sentences because it is necessary. It’s to make sure that the public is protected, and people are protected. You are going to be given the chance to show you are not a danger, and you have already shown you are able to do that. In giving the sentence you need to remember even though you are not serving jail time, you will have suspended jail hanging over your head. If there are any violations, the state can petition to revoke your probation, but it’s to give you an incentive to follow the rules.”

Judge Hibben then proceeded to go over specific terms of Lechleidner’s subsequent fines and probation expectations.

“With credit for two days served, there will be 30 days suspended,” Hibben continued. “You will have six months unsupervised probation and a 250 dollar fine, but I will suspend that. For court costs you will owe 220 dollars, and you will find that is a more than reasonable public defender fee. That will be waived in your case. You will live a law abiding life. A speeding ticket doesn’t violate your probation, but a DUI certainly does. Lastly you will have no contact with D.R. You cannot send a letter, or have a third party to tell her something on your behalf. You will have nothing to do with her at all.”

The court stood in recess at 10:42 a.m.

Shortly thereafter the court came back into session at approximately 11:00 a.m. for a brief hearing concerning Juan Gomez-Gallardo, who had been sentenced four weeks prior to 48 days of jail time.  

Gomez-Gallardo had violently hit and discharged a Torrington woman while on a morning walk, and proceeded to leave the scene without notifying authorities or stopping to help last fall.

Wyoming Judge Thomas Lee presided over the hearing with Goshen County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Boyer representing the state of Wyoming.

Harts once again represented defense for Gomez-Gallardo.

The proceeding opened with Judge Lee going over revisional changes to the original sentence of the defendant.

“I have received and reviewed the proposed judgment and sentence. I think we need to make some corrections to that,” Lee stated. “Count two of duty to stop, I did sentence Mr. Gallardo to 360 days. I did impose 30 of those days, and did give credit for two. That probationary period needs to be one year. Count three I did sentence Mr. Gallardo to 20 days. Those were concurrent with the 20 days that were imposed on count two, however there was no further probationary period. I don’t believe I could put Mr. Gallardo on probation for six months on either of that count. I think it needs to be more clear that each of the suspended sentences for count one, two and four are consecutive. As for each of the probationary periods for count one, count two and count four; Mr. Gallardo is on probation for a period of two years supervised probation. I think that ought to be a little more clear. Finally I did find that Mr. Gallardo and everyone would agree the restitution was over $16,000, and that is to be paid pursuant to a payment plan of at least $150 per month. I did not set that at a maximum, it was at least. That is the way I recall the sentencing. Speaking first to you Mr. Harts, does my recollection confirm with yours?” 

Harts answered in the affirmative, as did Boyer.

“If you would please make those adjustments to those judgments and sentence, then I would happily sign that sentence and will not bother you folks any further,” Judge Lee said jokingly. “You go about and have a very happy and Merry Christmas without me interfering in your lives. How does that sound? If you would make those corrections I would appreciate it.” 

Prosecuting Attorney Boyer responded to Judge Lee stating, “We wish you a very Merry Christmas as well your honor.”

The court stood in recess once more at 11:10 a.m.