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.