For as long as I have practiced in Jackson, a court date meant the county courthouse at 180 South King Street, a block off the square. It is not there anymore. The building was demolished this year to make room for the new Teton County Justice Center, and every court in the county is operating somewhere else until that building opens. Nobody has published a completion date. If you have a citation, a summons, a divorce filing or an old order that names King Street, the address on the paper is wrong and the rest of this article is where you actually go.
Circuit Court and District Court: 250 East Simpson Avenue
Both of the state courts moved together. The Clerk of District Court's office announced the move to temporary quarters at 250 East Simpson on February 23, 2026, "while we await construction of the new Teton County Justice Center," and the Circuit Court is in the same building. The Judicial Branch lists the Circuit Court of the Ninth Judicial District for Teton County at 250 E. Simpson Ave., Jackson, telephone 307-733-7713, and the District Court at the same address, telephone 307-733-2533. Mail still goes to the post office boxes, 2906 for the Circuit Court and 4460 for the District Court.
What each court does has not changed. The Circuit Court has original jurisdiction over every misdemeanor in the county, sets bail for everyone arrested here, holds the initial appearance, and conducts the preliminary examination in felony cases before they are bound over. The District Court hears felonies after bind-over, every divorce, custody and support case, and civil matters. If you are not sure which one you are due in, the citation or summons names it in the caption.
The County and Prosecuting Attorney's Office is a few doors down at 270 East Simpson. My office is at 40 East Simpson, on the same street, which is a convenience I did not plan but will take.
Municipal Court: Town Hall, 150 East Pearl Avenue
The Town of Jackson's court moved on its own schedule. Beginning January 7, 2026, all Municipal Court proceedings are held in the Town Hall Council Chambers at 150 East Pearl Avenue, the clock tower building, and the clerk's office is inside the Finance Department at the same address. The Municipal Court hears violations of town ordinances: traffic, parking, animal control and ordinance-level criminal offenses. All of its cases are misdemeanors. Jackson police also cite many traffic and criminal cases into the Circuit Court instead, so a Jackson Police citation can send you to either building. Read the caption.
The first date, wherever it is
A person arrested and held goes before a judicial officer "without unnecessary delay," and if the arrest was without a warrant, probable cause has to be found within seventy-two hours or the person is released. Within four hours of being booked, the jail has to tell you that you can file a written request for pretrial release. The initial appearance can be in person or by video from the detention center, at the judge's discretion. At that appearance the judge tells you the charge, the possible penalty, your right to a lawyer, your right to remain silent, your right to a jury where one exists, and the conditions on which you will be released. For a misdemeanor you may be arraigned then or later. For a felony you are not asked to plead until the case reaches District Court.
A person who was cited and released has a date on the citation, which by rule must be at least five days after the alleged violation. If the officer checked the box allowing forfeiture in lieu of appearance, paying the scheduled amount ends the case, but the rule is explicit about what paying means: you waive your appearance, waive a trial, and elect not to contest the charge. That is a plea of no contest, entered by mail.
Release conditions in a town of visitors
The rule tells the judge to release a person on personal recognizance or an unsecured bond unless that "will not reasonably assure the appearance of the person as required or will endanger the safety of any other person or the community," and otherwise to impose "the least restrictive" conditions that will. The factors include the nature of the offense, the weight of the evidence, employment, family ties, "length of residence in the community," "community ties," and your record of showing up. A seasonal worker or a visitor scores poorly on residence and ties through no fault of his own. The way to make that up is a clean record and a lawyer standing next to you at the first appearance who can tell the judge where you will be and how you will get back.
What to bring, and what to fix
Bring the citation or summons, the bond paperwork, and any notice of driver's license suspension if there was a breath or blood test, because the deadlines are on those documents. Do not bring anything you would not want a deputy to see at the security screening. Arrive early; the temporary building was not designed as a courthouse.
Two things are worth fixing before you go. If a condition of release cannot be satisfied where you live, such as twice-daily breath testing at the sheriff's office for someone who lives in another state, it needs to be converted at the first appearance. And if you are a party to an older divorce or custody order that names the King Street courthouse for exchanges or hearings, the order still works; only the building has moved. Expect one more move when the Justice Center opens.
This article is general information about Wyoming courts, not advice about your case. Addresses and telephone numbers are as published by the Judicial Branch and the Town of Jackson in September 2026 and will change when the Justice Center opens.
