Trial begins in Mathewson cases

Monday afternoon saw the start of a trial, expected to last several days, against Paul Mathewson in Hot Springs County Fifth Judicial District Court. Judge John G. Fenn is presiding over the trial.

Among the charges against Mathewson are: delivery of methamphetamine, stemming from an April 9, 2015 incident; use of meth, possession of meth, possession of meth in felony amount, possession of marijuana and possession of methadone stemming from a May 1, 2015 incident; trespassing, stemming from Sept 16, 2015; and driving with a suspended license, stemming from Dec. 14, 2015.

During opening arguments, Hot Springs County Attorney Jerry Williams laid out the series of events that led to Mathewson’s arrest. Williams explained an officer picked up a probation offender who wanted to make a deal. The officer gained some other information, and later utilized it in regard to another probation offender.

Following a visit from the probation officer that second offender made some admissions and was later arrested. However, the offender was later approached by a deputy and made a deal to provide information regarding Mathewson. Based on the info, the deputy obtained a search warrant.

Williams said the jury would also hear how evidence was gathered, packaged and sent in for testing, as well as how that evidence was tested and what the results were.

Other information that would come forth at the trial, Williams said, regarded how Mathewson and others were riding motorcycles on private property and did not leave as instructed. They would also hear, Williams said, of the incident in which he was ticketed for driving with a suspended license.

Williams said the circumstances of the incidents in the case were not complicated, but could be taken out of order due to the availability of witnesses, and asked the jury to bear with them.

Defense Attorney Devon Petersen, in his opener, stated on May 1, 2015, 12 law enforcement officers from four agencies showed up at Mathewson’s home. In a search of the home lasting hours, Petersen noted, the only amounts of drugs found found were trace amounts and residue.

Petersen also spoke of the subject who provided information, including Mathewson’s name, to officers. He said there was a conversation between the parties about doing a controlled buy, but that buy didn’t happen, and the only evidence of Mathewson’s selling meth was the word of the informant.

Petersen stated the informant’s information is what led to the search of Mathewson’s home, and reiterated the only thing found was residue on spoons, in a pipe and in a bong. Though those are indicators whoever was in the house was using drugs, Petersen said it is not evidence against Mathewson to convince the jury beyond a reasonable doubt that he was selling drugs.

As for the trespassing charge, Petersen said the jury would hear from people who saw motorcyclists on their property and told them to go out the way they came in, and that’s what the riders intended to do. He noted there would not be enough evidence from the State of Wyoming to erase reasonable doubt from the minds of the jurors on the charge.