Wyoming v. Colorado
Headline: Wyoming allowed to file a contempt petition against Colorado for violating a prior court order; Colorado must appear and explain itself by March 25, 1940, and its evidence request was denied.
Holding: This field is not part of the required schema and should be ignored.
- Requires Colorado to appear and explain itself by March 25, 1940.
- Allows Wyoming’s contempt petition to be filed and proceed.
- Denies Colorado’s request to take evidence about return flows now.
Summary
Background
The State of Wyoming asked for permission to file a petition asking the Court to require the State of Colorado to appear and explain why Colorado should not be held in contempt for violating a prior court decree. The Court granted Wyoming’s motion, ordered the petition filed, and gave Colorado a deadline to show cause on or before March 25, 1940. Colorado had also asked for permission to take evidence about how much water returns to the Laramie River from certain meadowland diversions.
Reasoning
The Court resolved the immediate procedural requests. It allowed Wyoming to file the petition that seeks contempt proceedings, directed that the petition be filed, and set a date by which Colorado must appear and respond. The Court separately denied Colorado’s motion to take evidence to determine the amount of return flow to the Laramie River from diversions at the headgates of the meadowland ditches. The opinion contains these orders without additional factual findings in this text.
Real world impact
Practically, Colorado must appear in Court and answer the contempt charge by the set date, and the contempt process may move forward. The Court’s denial of the evidence request means the amount of return flow will not be determined at this stage. These rulings are procedural steps in an interstate dispute and are not presented here as a final decision on the underlying water-rights issues.
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