What happens during investigative interviews in Wyoming?

The State of Wyoming Attorney General's Office often uses investigative interviews in its investigations under the Consumer Protection Act. What happens during these interviews?

The interviews are usually held in Cheyenne, Wyoming. This happens to be the local address for many of the Wyoming companies under investigation, and the Attorney General's Office is located there, so it makes sense to have the interviews there.

For efficiency reasons, the Office tries to set several interviews the same day. Some interviews may even be "stacked," meaning that there are multiple interviews set during the same time, with those that show up advancing to be interviewed over no-shows.

A court reporter is present and records every interview. Also present are one or two attorneys from the Office and perhaps a staff person. The company representative and the company attorney are also present. Under Wyoming's rules governing the unauthorized practice of law, the company attorney must either be a Wyoming attorney or in-house counsel for the company's whose employee or officer is being interviewed. Local counsel is allowed.

The Office will proceed formally with the interview, very similar to a deposition in a civil action. The company representative does not have much of an opportunity to make a record during the interview, but some clarification of the record is usually allowed. The Office may review some documents with the company representative during the interview. These will often become exhibits for the record that the court reporter makes for the interview.

At the end of the interview (usually 30 minutes to an hour or two), the company representative and company attorney leave and the Office begins another interview with the next company representative. This cycle continues until all company representatives are interviewed. A record is also made for no-shows.

The interview may resolve the investigation in some instances. In other cases, it turns out to only be the beginning of the investigation. It all depends upon how the interview goes and what the Office is actually investigating.

If you or your company have been served with a subpoena to appear for an interview, contact Harmony Law immediately. Harmony Law can aggressively defend your company if it is targeted in a government investigation.