Senate confirms new US attorney in Wyoming, despite misconduct allegations
Darin Smith was recently confirmed as the U.S. attorney for Wyoming, despite being cited for alleged misconduct in a criminal case. (Image from Shutterstock)
The U.S. Senate has confirmed Darin Smith as the U.S. attorney for Wyoming just days after judges tossed nine federal indictments citing Smith’s alleged misconduct that could have prejudiced jurors.
Smith was appointed on an interim basis in August and was confirmed Monday in a narrow party-line vote along with 48 other nominees by President Donald Trump, WyoFile reports, an independent news service in Wyoming.
Smith will serve a four-year term as the head of the U.S. attorney’s office for Wyoming. His confirmation comes after three federal judges dismissed nine felony indictments because of Smith’s alleged interactions with grand jurors, according to WyoLife.
The judges ruled in favor of defense attorneys who accused Smith of prejudicing the grand jury by calling the defendants “murderers” and telling them that the deliberations “won’t take long.” One of the defendants has been charged with a murder in the state’s Wind River Reservation.
“The cumulative effect of the many known instances of misconduct leaves the court with ‘grave doubt that the [grand jury’s] decision to indict was free from the substantial influence of such violations,’” the judges wrote.
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