HB0093

Requires Wyoming courts to provide free online public access to court records and audio or video recordings of proceedings, with specified exceptions for sensitive cases and records.

• Defines 'court' to include the Wyoming Supreme Court, district courts, chancery court, circuit courts, probate courts, municipal courts, and other state courts. Defines 'court record' to include pleadings, motions, orders, judgments, evidence, exhibits, discovery materials, and case metadata. Defines 'sensitive and bulky exhibits' as physical evidence that cannot be reasonably converted to online access. (W.S. 5-1-112(a), Sec. 1)
• Requires each court to make all court records available for free public viewing through an online portal accessible via the court's website without requiring registration or payment. Courts may charge fees only for electronic filings and paper copies of records. (W.S. 5-1-112(b), Sec. 1)
• Permits courts to exempt or limit online public access to court records in juvenile court proceedings, adoption, guardianship, conservatorship cases, cases involving minors (except minors charged as adults or transferred to district court), sensitive and bulky records, sexual assault cases under W.S. 6-2-319, and sealed cases. (W.S. 5-1-112(c), Sec. 1)
• Establishes requirements for sealing court records, including that a court must show by clear and convincing evidence that an interest will suffer serious harm from disclosure, that harm outweighs public access interest, and no less restrictive alternative exists. Requires sealing orders to be narrowly tailored, include particularized findings, specify duration, and provide periodic review mechanisms. Requires preference for redaction, anonymization, and delayed disclosure over sealing. (W.S. 5-1-112(c)(vi), Sec. 1)
• Requires each court to provide live, real-time audio or video streaming of hearings at no cost, upload audio or video recordings to its website within seven days of proceedings at no cost, and maintain a searchable online archive of recordings by case number, party, and date. (W.S. 5-1-112(d), Sec. 1)
• Exempts courts that have not recorded hearings before July 1, 2026 from the audio and video streaming and recording requirements. Exempts cases in juvenile court, adoption, guardianship, conservatorship, cases involving minors, sexual assault cases, and sealed cases from recording requirements.