For the last 20+ years, throughout Wyoming and the West, John Robinson has obtained outstanding results for his clients. Those victories for his clients, have included wins in a wide range of cases including: murder and other high stakes felony charges, government abuse of power/civil rights, trucking accidents, insurance bad faith, business and contract disputes, and wrongful death cases.
The following are just a few of the significant cases John won for his clients:
John won this difficult murder case in 2016 after local media tabbed John’s client the “Union Pass Killer.” John teamed up with one of the best trial lawyers he knows, John LaBuda, to get the “Not Guilty” verdict after a 7-day trial and a day and a half of deliberation. The 2016 trial was in Lander. The jury found John’s Client “Not Guilty” because of self-defense. The case and trial were extremely challenging because it was undisputed that John’s client killed the alleged victim with a gunshot to the neck; but he denied any knowledge of the incident during 3 separate law enforcement interviews in the 24 hours following the shooting. The victory saved John’s client from spending the rest of his life in prison. The jury foreperson tabbed John as your “Uncle Joe” – who “everyone would trust.”
https://www.dailyranger.com/index.php?tag=James%20Morrison&filter=tag
Paul Knopf was fired by the City of Evanston after 30+ years of looking out for the City’s planning department. In 2016, he was fired for expressing concern over City corruption. John fought long and hard, along with Evanston Attorney Jim Phillips, before finally arriving at a substantial settlement for their client.
https://uintacountyherald.com/article/knopf-v-williams-settled-for-500000
While the trial lasted only 8 days, the case lasted more than two years, resulting a victory for John’s client, who was charged with Second Degree Murder after killing a man in a bar in Buffalo in a one-punch bar fight. The alleged “victim” was drunk and verbally assaulting women when he got punched by John’s client. He died when his head hit a barstool on the way to the floor. John was teamed up with John LaBuda of Pinedale on the win. After pointing out to the Court that the jury instructions would lead to a tainted verdict (which happened as the jury convicted), John and team argued that the Wyoming Supreme Court change the law to prevent such unjust verdicts.
They won.
In 2017 Taylor Blanchard became the first woman to receive a boot-camp recommendation from a Wyoming trial court. John LaBuda of Pinedale was the lawyer who got her the recommendation. After John Robinson and the ACLU asked if Taylor would be treated just like the men who received such recommendations (and received a negative answer), John and Stephen Pevar of the ACLU filed suit asking for equal treatment – both for Taylor and for all the other women. The case made national news:
Discovery revealed a 30-year history of gender discrimination. While the trial court dismissed the case, the Tenth Circuit may very well reverse, reviving Taylor Blanchard’s effort to help all young women in the custody of the Wyoming Department of Corrects. More to come …
The State of Wyoming and its Attorney General spent more than a quarter million dollars to convict Albany County’s elected Prosecuting and County Attorney. It turned out to be a bad investment of tax payer money.
After a 16-day jury trial, John and his team (LaBuda from Pinedale) won “Not Guilty” verdicts for his County-Attorney client on all counts for which he might have some criminal liability. He also did the hard-work and research to create reversible legal issues on the conviction charges: obtaining property by false pretenses (OPFP). Even though John and team explained to the trial court and Attorney General why the OPFP charges and related jury instructions were illegal, the Court and the Attorney General ran with the charges and the conviction.
The Wyoming Supreme Court had to remedy the clear error – and after John and his excellent trial team presented their client’s argument, they did. Mr. Bohling stands acquitted of all felony charges.
In 2011, John brought a class-action litigation for his Casper client against massive Rent-to-Own Aarons’s, Inc. He teamed up with the Spence Firm in Jackson Wyoming and other high-profile firms from across the country. Aaron’s Rent To Own had been using spyware in their rent-to-own computers, without the customers’ knowledge. The customers, who rented these computers, without notice of the spyware, were often captured in photos taken through the computers’ web-cams in their homes of private and sensitive settings. Sometimes it was them. Sometimes it was their children. Sometimes people were clothed, other times not so much. The case is still pending in Pennsylvania and he and clients are awaiting corporate responsibility for their illegal spying.
https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2015/04/17/aaron-s-loses-appeal-of-computer-spyware.html
John has achieved outstanding results for his clients across Wyoming – here are a few others by community:
Casper
Steward v. Casper College, 09-CV-167 (D. Wyo. 2009)
John won a substantial settlement for long-time Casper College Student-Athlete, Instructor and Coach Abe Steward, after the College had him arrested and jailed when he was trying to turn in his students’ grades at the end of his last semester before he retired. Steward was Casper College’s first African American Student-Athlete to graduate from Casper College, and an All-American collegiate basketball player. Steward returned to instruct and coach at Casper College after a professional basketball player. He was the only African-American faculty member of Casper College at the time the administration had him arrested. His claims included civil rights claims for racial discrimination as months before his arrest, the College President asked a Vice-President to go through Steward’s file to look for any reason to terminate him. She found none. Read More >
Cook v. Cline, 13-cv-34 (D. Wyo. 2013)
John won a $35,000.000 judgment for his client against a Natrona County Sheriff Deputy for throwing her face first from the back of his pickup truck, while she had done nothing wrong. Read More >
Jennings v. Frontier Correctional Systems, et al, 12-cv-55 (D. Wyo. 2012)
John won a substantial confidential settlement for his client and against the Juvenile Detention Center, the private company operating the JDC, and the Department of Family Services, for each Defendants involvement or lack of supervision resulting in the JDC requiring the juvenile Plaintiff to clean up blood after a fight between two different inmates at the detention center. Read More >
Heinrich v. City of Casper, et al, 11-cv-280 (D. Wyo. 2011):
John won a confidential settlement for his client for her wrongful arrest concerning a wallet she found at a Casper gas station and tried to return to its owner. She was arrested by police when she refused to turn it over to them and insisted on returning it on her own. Read More >
Snidow v. White’s Mountain Motors, 10-cv-283 (D. Wyo. 2010):
John won a confidential settlement for his elderly client against a large car dealer after her supervisor sent pornographic text messages to her cell phone at work, inviting her to engage in sex, and her employer did not prevent the conduct from continuing (and in fact, encouraged it by rehiring the supervisor after an earlier termination for similar conduct). Read More >
Gray v. Natrona County School District, 10-cv-99 (D. Wyo. 2010):
John won a $60,000 judgment for his client, an elementary school girl, after the school district failed to protect her from repeated bullying, assault and sexual harassment from a classmate, which the school turned a blind eye to. The school district ultimately revised its bullying policies as a result of the case. Read More >
Nicola Carr v. IINA, 04-CV-23 (D.Wyo. 2004) Civ Act. No. 84995, 84998, 84999 (D. Natrona County)
John won a substantial confidential settlement for his client arising out of a first party insurance bad faith case. A tragic 5-fatality car accident just west of Casper left the sole survivor with claims against the insurance company which insured the car in which she and her husband were riding at the time of the crash. The insurance company tried to change the policy terms to defeat her claims and was caught in its trick. Read More >
English v. Douglas, et al, 04-cv-176 (D. Wyo. 2004):
John won a jury verdict of $200,000 for his clients against Casper Police officers after they illegally detained a mother and her minor children and held them at gunpoint. The police officers had stopped the wrong vehicle and ignored obvious signs that they had the wrong people, but terrified John’s clients anyhow. Read More >
Belving for Hood v. Carson, 00-cv-1022 (D. Wyo. 2000)
John won a settlement for his client after a little girl was placed in her mother’s home by DFS, despite DFS knowledge of the very obvious danger her mother’s boyfriend presented to the little girl, ultimately resulting in the little girl being killed by her mother’s boyfriend.
Newcastle
Chricton & Garcia v. Robinson, et al., 99-cv-1041 (D. Wyo. 1999)
John won a confidential settlement in a civil rights case on behalf of children who were sexually molested after DFS workers placed them in a “therapeutic” foster care environment in which the foster father had a history of sexually abusing children in his home.
Rawlins
Lucido v. Correctional Medical Services 04-CV-132
John won a substantial confidential settlement for his client in an Eighth Amendment Cruel and Unusual Civil Rights case against the private medical contractor which was supposed to provide health care to prisoners at the Wyoming Penitentiary. John’s client, who was serving a short sentence for a marijuana offense, was diabetic and sustained a foot injury while in prison and just weeks from his release date. The injury turned into MRSA, and instead of taking him to the hospital for emergency treatment, the contractor ignored him, hoping he would arrive at his release date so he would be responsible for the cost of treatment. Days before he was to be released, they finally took him to the hospital, but the doctors there could only save his life, not his leg. The case was the subject of a shocking television show.
Estate of Scott v. Sinclair Oil Co., et al, CV-09-224 (D. Carbon County 2009):
John won a confidential settlement in a wrongful death case brought against an employer and Sinclair corporation after they sent John’s client’s son – an oil field worker – to a remote location with little protection and no ability to remotely communicate with anyone. The worker ultimately was killed on the worksite. OSHA fined the employer involved for violating safety rules. The deceased’s son, who was born after the death was left with a fund for college and more as a result of the settlement.
Faulkner v. Crete Carrier and Arlington Towing, CV-08-210 (D. Carbon County 2008):
John won a substantial confidential settlement for his client injured in a multi-semi pile up on I-80 after exposing reckless background checks and hiring practices at a major trucking company.
Faber v. City of Rawlins, 07-cv-75 (D. Wyo. 2007):
John won a substantial confidential settlement for his client in an excessive force lawsuit against the City of Rawlins and its police officer who sexually assaulted John’s client when she was a minor girl during a ride-along program that was inherently dangerous to the children of Rawlins, and which the City endorsed and refused to discontinue upon knowledge of the officer specific danger and the obvious risks presented the program.
Thermopolis
Bentley v. Larson, 12-cv-218, (D. Wyo. 2012)
John won a jury trial, judgment and attorneys’ fees after securing a verdict against the Hot Springs County Sheriff for wrongfully killing his client’s horse, Bud. The Undersheriff shot and killed Bud without notice or warning on the Bentley’s property, and left him there to be found by Chris Bentley, who was terrified. Read more >
Buffalo
Young v. Big Horn Tire, et al, CV-2009-0037 (D. Johnson County 2009)
John won a confidential settlement for his client for substantial injuries he sustained in an ATV crash that was caused by negligent tire installation by Big Horn Tire.
Cheyenne
Mulligan v. Laramie County Sheriff’s Office, 06-cv-2 (D. Wyo. 2006)
John won a confidential civil rights settlement for his client for injuries he suffered from the beating by various inmates known to present a threat to him while at the Laramie County Detention Center.
Cody
Rael v. Lovell Police Department, Wells Fargo Bank, et. al., 09-cv-107 (D. Wyo. 2009)
John won a confidential settlement for his client in a Civil Rights Conspiracy Lawsuit against law enforcement, and Wells Fargo, after they each illegally conspired to destroy clients’ business by having law enforcement assist in an illegal self-assisted repossession by bank.
Evanston
Jackson v. McKee, et al, 02-cv-1013 (D. Wyo. 2002)
John Robinson won a confidential civil rights settlement for his client, a fifteen year old boy, who was inhumanely treated during his involuntary commitment to the Wyoming State Hospital in Evanston, during which he was placed with adults and was subjected to shock treatment, drugged, and involuntary restrained.
Gillette
Larsen v. Banner Health System, 2003 WY 167 (WY S.Ct. 2003):
John won a substantial confidential settlement for his client in a case where John’s client was improperly switched at birth for another child, and given to the wrong family while in the hospital in Gillette. John’s client did not discover that she had been switched at birth until 40 years later. The Wyoming Supreme Court ruled in this case, for the first time, that Plaintiffs can recover in some instances where their only damages are emotional distress and that the doctor and the patient had a special relationship. Read More >
Green River / Rock Springs
Clement v. Castle Rock Convalescent Center, et al., Case No. 10-12 (D. Sweetwater County, WY 2010)
John won a confidential settlement for his client a nursing home for the negligent care she received in the facility, which included dozens of preventable falls, even though the nursing home knew she was a fall risk.
Becker v. Mason, 2006 WY 143 (WY S. Ct. 2006)
John Robinson prosecuted, settled in part, and tried a case to a jury for the mother of a 14 year old boy killed by a drunk driver in Rock Springs after police let the drunk driver go when he was obviously highly intoxicated. The Supreme Court changed Wyoming law holding law enforcement officials to a higher than previous standard when confronting drunk drivers allowing for the settlement and trial. Read More >
Jackson
JHL, Inc v. Stafford, (D. Teton County 2005)
John won a jury trial in a civil dispute over the sale of a landscaping tree and lawn care business. The Teton County jury returned a verdict in favor of John’s client and found that he client had prevailed in every respect of the dispute.
Laramie
Llewallen v. City of Laramie, et al., 11-cv-155 (D. Wyo. 2011):
John won a substantial confidential settlement against a Laramie police officer and the City of Laramie, after he was tased in the back without warning while crossing a busy Laramie street. The incident led to John’s client having tens of thousands of dollars in facial and dental surgery. John’s client used the settlement to pay for law school and he is now a successful trial lawyer in Casper. Read more >
Lusk
Bodell, Casciato, et al. v. West, 00-cv-16 (D. Wyo. 2000):
John Robinson won a confidential settlement for his women prisoner clients in a civil rights case, after they were all sexually assaulted by a guard at the Wyoming Women’s Prison.
Pinedale
Zhelbakov v. Sublette County Sheriff’s Office, 11-cv-256 (D. Wyo. 2011)
John won a confidential settlement in a civil rights case against the Sublette County Sheriff for an unnecessary taser incident where his client was tased even though he had done nothing wrong, and because of an illegal policy which caused the incident.
Riverton / Lander
Strom v. Fremont County Sheriff’s Office and Riverton Police Department, Civ. Act. No. 35860 (D. Fremont County 2007)
John won a substantial confidential settlement for his client against the Fremont County Sheriff’s office and Riverton Police Department after they recklessly deployed spike strips on the city limits of Riverton to stop a high-speed police chase. They didn’t warn or divert oncoming traffic and when the suspect’s car hit the spike strips, he lost control careening into John’s client and her sister, causing life-changing injuries.
Moore v. Riverton Police Department, 03-cv-1049 (D. Wyo. 2003)
John won a confidential settlement for his client and his family in an excessive force lawsuit after they were unnecessarily targeted by SWAT team, brought out of their home and forced to their knees at gunpoint only to learn that the police had made a mistake in targeting them. It was determined that the mistake was learned early on by the police but they went ahead and abused the family’s civil rights anyway – terrorizing a mom and dad and their children.
Sheridan
Phillips v. Boyd and Rasmussen, 12-cv-153 (D. Wyo. 2012)
John teamed up with Buffalo Trial Lawyer Chris Wages and won a confidential settlement in a civil rights case for his client in a case where two Sheridan County Sheriff’s Deputies assaulted and forcibly stripped the plaintiff leaving her unconscious and naked in her jail cell. A claim against the Sheridan County Sheriff subsequently settled as well, because the incident was caused by a policy of the SCSO caused the civil rights violation. A television show documented this case.
Chivers v. Rail Road Land and Cattle, CV-2011-439 (D. Sheridan County 2011)
John won a confidential settlement for his client, a ten year old boy, who fell in a hidden well on the defendant’s property while walking across it. He was trapped in the well with snakes for an extended period of time before being rescued.