Longtime deputy attorney leaves Park County

Posted 10/18/16

On the County Commission’s behalf, Davis pushed the federal government to ease restrictions on snowmobiling in Yellowstone National Park and to lift Endangered Species Act protections for wolves; he also went before the Wyoming Supreme Court …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Longtime deputy attorney leaves Park County

Posted

You wouldn’t know from the humble way he tells it, but in his 14 years as a deputy Park County attorney, Jim Davis worked on some of the most contentious legal issues in the county.

On the County Commission’s behalf, Davis pushed the federal government to ease restrictions on snowmobiling in Yellowstone National Park and to lift Endangered Species Act protections for wolves; he also went before the Wyoming Supreme Court multiple times to defend the commission’s controversial approval of the massive Copperleaf Subdivision in Wapiti. In the process, Davis may have become the longest-serving deputy attorney in the county’s history.

“Most of what I did was pretty much day-to-day work on responding to elected officials and department heads, Road and Bridge (Department) questions,” Davis said. He added that among some lawyers, being a deputy county attorney is seen as “not the greatest statement on a person’s legal career.”

However, the people Davis worked for and with saw things differently.

“You’ve done excellent work for the county; everybody in here would say, ‘Absolutely,’” Commission Chairman Tim French told Davis at a Sept. 20 ceremony. “Your work’s been very appreciated.”

Commissioners frequently relied on Davis’ legal advice, and French described the deputy as a professional and “a very calming influence.”

“I don’t envy our county attorney trying to replace Jim — not to mention that poor person that has to try to fill Jim’s shoes,” said Commissioner Bucky Hall.

“If you could have a definition of a good employee, Jim would be it,” Park County Attorney Bryan Skoric said in an interview.

Davis actually joined the Park County Attorney’s Office before Skoric, and both submitted their names for consideration when the county attorney post became vacant in 2003. Commissioners appointed Skoric and Davis chose to stay on as his deputy.

Skoric said some people suggested he view Davis as a threat, but he never saw it that way.

“I want to surround myself with people that are smarter than I am; it makes my job easier,” Skoric said. “Jim’s just one of those people. Could always count on Jim.”

Davis handled much of the county government’s civil legal work — such as planning and zoning issues — and prosecuted some criminal cases, including fish and wildlife violations.

Davis may be most proud of his work on administrative law — “the driest, most boring area of the law that there is” — within the legal challenges to the Copperleaf subdivision. While only time will tell, Davis believes his arguments may have helped persuade the Wyoming Supreme Court to allow local governments to hold fewer contested case hearings; those are costly and formal court-like proceedings that governments must hold in certain disputes.

While reducing the number of contested case hearings may not be that interesting to the general public, “it did, I think, save the county money,” Davis said.

The deputy attorney was also called upon to represent the county’s positions in litigation — including lawsuits over snowmobiling in Yellowstone. Davis thinks the positions he advanced may have helped convince park managers to try non-commercially guided trips.

“It wasn’t us alone by any means, but we may have had some influence on that decision,” he said.

Davis said he found the job interesting, challenging and enjoyable.

“I’d recommend it,” he said.

Davis is now heading for greener pastures: He’s leaving the practice of law for the time being to work on a ranch in Arizona.

Comments