§ 18-3-611 — Sheriff's office employees; removal from office; hearings

(a) This section applies to sworn nonprobationary, full-
time deputies of a sheriff's department which employs at least
twenty (20) sworn, full-time deputies. Except as provided by
subsection (d) of this section, this section does not apply to
any member of the executive staff. As used in this subsection,
"member of the executive staff" means a deputy whose primary
duties consist of the management of the department or a
subdivision thereof, who regularly exercises discretionary
powers as they relate to the employment status of employees and
who is directly supervised by the sheriff.
(b) A deputy sheriff shall not be discharged from
employment, reduced in rank or suspended without pay except for
cause and after notice and opportunity for a hearing. The
hearing and any appeal shall be conducted in accordance with the
Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act. The hearing shall be
closed unless both the sheriff and the deputy involved agree
otherwise.
(c) A deputy sheriff accused of a matter for which the
sheriff may discharge him may be suspended with pay for a
reasonable length of time necessary to investigate and take
final action on the matter, provided the deputy shall not be
discharged in any final action without the opportunity for a
hearing.
(d) A sheriff may in his discretion reduce in rank a
member of the executive staff but shall not terminate him
without cause.
(e) This section does not prohibit or restrict discharges
from employment, in order of lowest ranking deputies first, for
purposes of reorganization of the sheriff's office or for the
reason of lack of funds.