Opinion ID: 2637827
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Did the district court appropriately grant summary judgment against the appellant on the Wyoming Governmental Claims Act claim?

Text: [¶ 6] The Wyoming Governmental Claims Act (WGCA) provides at Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-39-112 (LexisNexis 2009) that [a] governmental entity is liable for damages resulting from tortious conduct of peace officers while acting within the scope of their duties. A detention deputy is a peace officer under the WGCA. Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-39-103(a)(iii) (LexisNexis 2009); Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 7-2-101(a)(iv)(H) (LexisNexis 2009). To proceed under the WGCA, a claimant must present his or her claim to the governmental entity within two years of the alleged act, error or omission. Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-39-113(a) (LexisNexis 2009). Of particular importance in the instant case is the additional statutory mandate that an action against a governmental entity is forever barred unless it is commenced within one year after the date the claim was presented to the governmental entity. Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-39-114 (LexisNexis 2009). W.R.C.P. 3(b) defines commenced in the context of a statute of limitations: (b) When commenced. For purposes of statutes of limitation, an action shall be deemed commenced on the date of filing the complaint as to each defendant, if service is made on the defendant or on a codefendant who is a joint contractor or otherwise united in interest with the defendant, within 60 days after the filing of the complaint. If such service is not made within 60 days that action shall be deemed commenced on the date when service is made. ... (Emphasis added.) [¶ 7] The sexual assault occurred on November 9, 2004. The appellant's claim was presented to Laramie County on June 15, 2006, well within the two-year period mandated by Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-39-113(a). [2] The appellant filed her complaint in district court on December 22, 2006. It is significant that, while this filing occurred within the one-year limitation period of Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 1-39-114, the deputy was not served with a copy of the complaint until October 5, 2007. Consequently, pursuant to W.R.C.P. 3(b), the suit was not commenced until that date, which was outside the one-year statutory period. As a result, the appellant's state law tort claims against the deputy under the WGCA are time-barred, and the district court must be affirmed in that regard. [3] The appellant conceded as much below.