June 26, 2009

******FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE******

GOVERNOR NAMES THOMAS CAMPBELL TO FIRST JUDICIAL DISTRICT

CHEYENNE, Wyo. - A respected Circuit Court judge who served for many years as a prosecutor, a county attorney and a municipal judge has been named a judge for the First Judicial District Court by Gov. Dave Freudenthal.

Thomas Eugene Campbell of Cheyenne, a Circuit Judge in the First Judicial District, has wide-ranging experience in the practice of law.

The Governor said Campbell’s long tenure as a judge at the Circuit Court and municipal levels and his many years as a prosecutor and a county attorney make him a good choice for the seat in the First Judicial District, which includes all of Laramie County.

“Tom comes to this seat very highly recommended by his peers and by the attorneys who try cases before him,” the Governor said. “Not only does he have an extensive working knowledge of the law and a quick, analytical mind, but perhaps more importantly, he is known as a patient, hard working and ethical judge who treats all who come before him with respect and dignity. His significant experience on the Circuit Court will make this a seamless transition.”

Campbell called it a great honor to be named to the District Court bench.

“I am deeply honored by this appointment and look forward to continuing to serve the First Judicial District,” Campbell said. “The quality of the local bar and the wonderful staff of the courts here in Laramie County make this a great place to work. Following in Judge Edward Grant’s footsteps, while difficult, makes this an even greater honor.”

Since graduating from high school in Rapid City, South Dakota and earning his bachelor’s degree from the University of Denver in 1980, Campbell has spent most of his life in Wyoming.

He earned his law degree from the University of Wyoming in 1983, and went to work in Carbon County as deputy county attorney. In 1990, Campbell was elected as Carbon County attorney and the county’s prosecuting attorney, a position he held until 2001, when he was named to the Circuit Court.

From 1987 to 2001, Campbell served terms as a municipal judge in the towns of Sinclair, Superior, Bairoil and Hanna.

As a Circuit Court judge, Campbell has spent significant amounts of time on assignment to the District Court working on post-divorce proceedings including child support, modification of custody, paternity cases and contempt matters.

Campbell is the current chairman of the Circuit Court Judges Conference, is on the Advisory Committee to the American Bar Association for Laramie County Community College and is on the Wyoming Supreme Court’s permanent Rules Advisory Committee - Evidence.

For three years he has taught at Laramie County Community College and has also taught at Chadron State College. From 1985 to 2001 Campbell was an instructor through the Board of Cooperative Higher Education in Carbon County.  

In the past he has served on the Wyoming Association of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers, the Carbon County Counseling Center Board of Directors and the Carbon County Higher Education Program Advisory Board.


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