Third District Court Judge puts gavel down

For the last time, Judge Nena James pounded the gavel to adjourn the Third District Court of Sweetwater County.

After 18 years as Third District Court Judge, James knew it was time to retire and end a more than 30 year judicial career.

James began her career in 1974 after she graduated from the University of Wyoming Law School. James said she knew she was going to move to Sweetwater County and open up a private practice because the county was booming at the time.

After she opened up her law firm, she started practicing general law, but ended up doing a lot of domestic relations cases.

In 1975, James was appointed to be the county's justice of the peace. Back then, the justice of the peace position was an elected position. After a justice of the peace resigned, James was appointed to fill the position.

"That started my judicial career," James said.

For six years, James practiced law and acted as the justice of the peace.

In 1981, the justice of the peace position was being eliminated and replaced with a circuit court judge. James said she didn't want to take that position because it was a full-time position and she could make more in her private practice.

"I would have had to give up my law job," she said.

The circuit court judge position went to Samuel Soule and James went back to her private practice full time.

In 1989, James became the Rock Springs Municipal Court Judge, which was a part-time job.

In 2001, James was appointed to the Third District Court. James said it was interesting to say the least. This was the first time the county wasn't replacing a district court judge, but adding one. Due to the amount of cases making their way to the Third District Court, another judge was needed.

After her appointment, James went for nine months without her own office or staff. She said all she had was a metal desk in a filing room.

"It was hard because I didn't have any help and a full-time case load," she said.

Even though things were rough at the beginning, James never thought twice about her decision to become a district court judge.

"It was what I wanted to do and I knew they would get an office for me," James said.

It was just waiting for the office that seemed to take a long time. She said the Sweetwater County Museum was located on the bottom floor of the courthouse and it was being moved to its current location on Flaming Gorge Way.

Once the museum was moved out, an office area was created for the Sweetwater County Attorney's Office. They then moved from the top floor to the bottom floor. The vacant area was then converted into an office area for James and her employees.

James was proud to say that at the time of her appointment, she was one of three women in Wyoming to serve as a district court judge.

"There was a period time when I was the only female district court judge in the state of Wyoming," James said.

Highlights of her career

James said she will miss working with her employees, the Clerk of District Court, Sweetwater County Attorney's Office, the Youth Home, Sweetwater County Sheriff's Department, Sweetwater County Juvenile Probation, the Department of Family Services, the Wyoming Boys' School and the Wyoming Girls' School.

While most judges shy away from the juvenile part of the district-court job, James excelled.

"I really thrived in the juvenile court and in domestic relations," James said.

She said this was possible because all of the agencies worked together for the good of the juvenile.

"To me, it was very meaningful to work with people on that," James said. "We had a common interest to improve the outcomes for our kids."

James was often asked by DFS to pilot a new programs. James was on board to try anything to help juveniles. James said one of the programs was the attendance court at the Rock Springs High School. Every other week, James would meet at the high school with juvenile probation, a member from the county attorney's office and a member from Sweetwater County School District No. 1 before school started to review the work and attendance of juveniles who she had seen in court. The program didn't cost any money, but required those who participated to volunteer their own time.

"I believe we really did save the education of quite a few kids," James said.

James was proud to help develop juvenile pattern jury instructions for courts to follow. This was something the district court didn't have, but needed. Juveniles follow different rules and regulations and these instructions addressed that.

Most challenging point

James said the lowest point in her career came in 2012 when Sweetwater County Attorney Brett Johnson filed a preemptory disqualification against James on several criminal and civil cases.

James said she never understood why and figured it was because he didn't agree with a ruling she had made in a previous case. James called Johnson to address the issue, but he never returned her calls.

"The county attorney had an axe to grind with me," she said.

All this time, James couldn't speak to the issue and many started to question her abilities as a judge.

"It was a very, very trying time," James said. "It was a very low point. A sad point in my career."

James knew other judges were having the same disqualifications filed against them too, but not to that extent.

At one point, James refused to remove herself from a case and the matter went before the Wyoming Supreme Court, which determined the county attorney's office was abusing this challenge and they decided to get rid of it entirely.

Even though James knew it was being abused, she didn't like being the catalyst for the Wyoming Supreme Court to make its decision.

Continuing to provide yarn

While working with the Wyoming Girl School, James realized a lot of the girls didn't have a hobby. She started to bring yard so they could learn how to crochet and the program took off.

Not only did it give the girls a hobby, but they were happy to teach what they learned to their friends and family. James said if gave those girls something to be proud of.

James said she will continue to collect yarn and take it to the girls school because she knows what an impact it's making. When she arrives with a delivery, they all gather around her car excited to see what colors and kinds of yarn she has brought for them.

James plans to remain in Sweetwater County and pursue her hobbies, such as quilting.