A proposed plea arrangement would spare former Weston County clerk Becky Hadlock jail time over errors and conflicting reports tied to the 2024 general election — a development that narrows a high-profile local election probe and raises fresh questions about how election mistakes are handled. The deal, outlined in a court filing this week, must still be approved by a judge before it takes effect.
Defense lawyer Ryan Semerad filed the agreement Tuesday, saying prosecutors will drop one felony charge and reduce the other to a single misdemeanor election-code violation if Hadlock pleads guilty to that misdemeanor. Prosecutors and Semerad have jointly proposed a $500 fine as the sentence; the filing says she would not face prison or probation under the terms.
Circuit Court Judge Lynda Bush has not yet signed off. She canceled a scheduled preliminary hearing and allowed both sides to submit the plea package and a proposed sentence for the court’s consideration.
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Former Weston County clerk dodges jail after plea in election misconduct probe
Why this matters now: the outcome resolves a criminal case tied to election administration and could influence public confidence and legislative oversight of county clerks statewide. It also determines whether prosecutors pursue harsher penalties for election-related misconduct in future cases.
Key elements of the proposed resolution:
- One felony charge would be dismissed; the other would be reduced to a misdemeanor.
- Hadlock would enter a guilty plea to the misdemeanor rather than go to trial.
- The joint recommendation calls for a $500 fine; no jail time or probation is proposed.
- Final approval depends on the judge’s acceptance of the plea agreement.
Background: Hadlock resigned in April after being indicted on two felony counts — alleged violations of election law and accusations of falsifying election documents — offenses that originally carried maximum penalties of up to five years behind bars. State investigators say a post-election audit filed by Hadlock did not disclose ballot errors; a later review of the same ballots reportedly found 21 miscounts.
On election night in 2024, the county’s initial tally was thrown off after the wrong ballots were used at the tabulation stage, creating a substantial undercount for Representative Chip Neiman, who faced no opponent. A hand recount and a subsequent audit corrected the official totals, but the incident prompted intense local scrutiny and calls for answers.
Legislators sought further explanation. Hadlock was subpoenaed to appear before a committee in September 2025; when she did not attend, she was charged with defying the legislative subpoena, a misdemeanor that remains unresolved. Recent court filings indicate she has moved to change her earlier not-guilty plea in that matter.
Following her resignation, a separate removal proceeding initiated by Governor Mark Gordon — asking the state Attorney General to seek her ouster for filing a false audit report and ignoring the subpoena — was dismissed by a judge.
State Representative Rachel Rodriguez-Williams, who led the committee that issued the subpoena, said accountability in election administration is essential. While she indicated she would have preferred tougher penalties, she emphasized the importance of voters knowing their ballots are counted.
Hadlock’s attorney declined to comment for this report. Natrona County District Attorney Dan Itzen has served as a special prosecutor in the case.
This is a developing story and may be updated as the court reviews the plea agreement.
