Wyoming high court reverses conviction due to delayed justice

June 20, 2012

Cheyenne, Wyoming: On June 14, 2012, the Wyoming Supreme Court reversed Roman Vance's conviction of child abuse because of a six and a half year delay in bringing him to trial. The court ruled that the delay was caused by negligence on the part of government officials.

In July of 2004, Vance was arrested and faced charges of hitting a 12-year-old boy in the eye. He later moved to Idaho and was arrested again, but on separate charges. After being convicted and imprisoned, he was released on parole. However, he was still considered a fugitive from Wyoming. This fact was hidden from Idaho officials because Vance's 2004 arrest warrant hadn't been entered into the national crime reporting database. This error was discovered in late 2010. In 2011, Vance was arrested and brought to face his original charges in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, where he was convicted. The high court has now overruled the conviction.