Meet Your Candidates: Laramie County District Attorney

CHEYENNE, Wyo. (Wyoming News Now) - We reached out to both of the Republican candidates who have filed to become a candidate for Laramie County District Attorney. Below are the candidates running who responded to our request. The information below is written by the candidates and unedited by Wyoming News Now.

NAME: Thomas E. Callison

NAME: Sylvia Hackl

AGE: 66

OCCUPATION: Licensed as an attorney; currently working as a consultant with Agile Benefits Consulting, a local firm which provides advice to employers in designing employee benefit plans.

POLITICAL EXPERIENCE: I ran for City Council in the early 1980′s, and for District Attorney in 2002. I was not successful in either race. However, much of my career has involved working with lawmakers: while in the Attorney General’s office, I worked with legislators; while serving as Deputy County Attorney, I worked with the County Commissioners and all the other county elected officials; and while working as City Attorney, I worked with Mayor and the City Council. I understand political and government processes at the city, county and state levels.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN LARAMIE COUNTY? 62 years, although I did attend college and law school outside of Laramie County.

WHY ARE YOU RUNNING? The Laramie County District Attorney’s Office has faced numerous challenges over the past several years. The office is understaffed, and as a result, each attorney’s caseload is unacceptably high. In addition, there are barriers to open communication with the courts, law enforcement, victims, and the public.

I am running to fix the problems with, and to restore confidence in, the office. The District Attorney’s Office needs a strong leader with substantial experience in the criminal justice system and in law office management to address staffing, caseload and communication issues. I am that person. I have practiced law for 42 years – all in Laramie County. Twenty-two of those years were focused exclusively on practice in the criminal justice system. I have appeared in circuit and district courts, and before the Wyoming Supreme Court. I have worked in both the public and private sectors, reorganizing offices and establishing solid working relationships with partner groups.

WHAT IS LARAMIE COUNTY’S BIGGEST CHALLENGE? I will answer this from the perspective of the District Attorney’s Office. I think the biggest challenge will be adequate staffing – because Laramie County citizens need and deserve a District Attorney’s Office that can and will effectively prosecute criminals.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

I have a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of Wyoming, in addition to my law degree. I have studied how to lead a government organization and have used the knowledge in leading other entities. I will bring that knowledge and experience to bear on restoring the District Attorney’s Office to a functional office.

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