Court Opinion

ID: 9536038
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 06:53:41.800683+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T13:33:26.110785
License: Public Domain

PRICE, District Judge,
concurring in result only.
I concur with the result in this decision but' do not join in the majority’s opinion because of the Court’s failure to give guidance to the district court on handling this situation. Also, the opinion should give warning to pro se litigants that they should not just sit back on the date their ease has been set for trial or for hearing.
It should be noted that RPM’s “motion” filed on April 5,1995, was entitled “Motion in Request for Court Intervention or Assistance.” The motion also acknowledged the date and time of the hearing. Not only did RPM not attempt to participate by phone on the hearing date, he did nothing to require a hearing on his motion. The Wyoming Rules of Civil Procedure do not specifically address this issue. However, Wyo. R. Civ. P. 6(e)(2) references “a request for hearing ... by the moving party or any party affected by the motion....” Also, RPM did not make a specific motion or request to appear by phone as is allowed under Wyo. U.R.D.C. 802. In 1984, this Court said that a pro se litigant would not be granted greater rights than any other litigant and he must expect the same treatment as if represented by an attorney. It was pointed out that even though a person has a right to act as their own attorney, they should be restricted to the same rules. To do differently is to unjustly reward ignorance. Matter of GP, 679 P.2d 976, 984 (Wyo.1984). More recent cases have been somewhat softer on the pro se litigant by indicating that some leniency should be accorded; “however, the administration of justice requires reasonable adherence to procedural rules and requirements of the court.” Osborn v. Emporium Videos, 848 P.2d 237, 240 (Wyo.1993).
My direction to trial courts faced with this situation would be to require all notices of setting to state that appearance by phone will be considered by the court upon request and that if granted, the person attending by phone should be given the proper phone number to call and the cost paid by the person attending by phone.
In summary, I vote to reverse in part as announced in the majority decision. I agree that a litigant should have a right to attend a hearing by phone if he is unable to make arrangements for in-person attendance because he is in jail; however, I think the incarcerated person must make the request and then set up the phone call themselves, including arrangements for payment of the call. It should not be up to the court to provide attendance and set up the call.