The following statement was issued by Commission on Judicial Conduct and Ethics Executive Director Wendy J. Soto about an investigation into Pinedale Municipal Judge Ruth Neely.
“On December 11, 2014, an article appeared in the Sublette Examiner quoting the Honorable Ruth Neely, Pinedale Municipal Judge and Circuit Court Magistrate. The article concerned same-sex marriage and quoted Judge Neely as stating that she would ‘not be able to do them,’ referring to same sex-marriages, based upon her religious beliefs. As a result of this article, the Wyoming Commission on Judicial Conduct and Ethics initiated an investigation on its own motion. As a result of its investigation, on March 4, 2015, the Commission served Judge Neely with a Notice of Commencement of Formal Proceedings, alleging the violation of six separate Canons or Rules of judicial conduct.
“In response, Judge Neely admitted she informed the reporter that solemnizing same-sex marriages would violate her religious beliefs, denied that she had violated the Code of Judicial Conduct and raised thirteen separate affirmative defenses, primarily based upon her constitutional rights. Judge Neely has the right to a fair hearing without pre-judgement. The matter is set for hearing before an adjudicatory panel of the Commission.”
Wyoming legalized same-sex marriage last fall, prior to this June’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling that all states must recognize same-sex marriage.