Sexual assault trial underway

Those with business on the third floor of the Hot Springs County Courthouse should expect a few detours. The main staircase is currently roped off, making the only direct access to the floor through the elevator or fire escape. There are also plenty of signs stating cell phones and weapons are not allowed on the floor — these items will be confiscated — and a security checkpoint with a metal detector.

Additionally, there’s been a couple walls added around the jury room, and anyone planning to go in to district court will need to check in with a deputy.

All these security measures have been put in place for the trial of Tony Cercy, which was moved to Thermopolis from Natrona County. Cercy is being tried in Hot Springs County for third-degree sexual assault, a charge that alleges he molested a female subject while she slept on a couch in his home.

Though jury selection was completed last Friday, with 12 jurors and two alternates selected from more than 70, the trial did not begin until Tuesday, Nov. 13 due to the courthouse being closed Nov. 12 in honor of Veterans Day.

The case against Cercy has been ongoing since July of 2017. He was acquitted of two additional counts — first-degree sexual assault and second-degree sexual assault — in Natrona County, though jurors could not come to a unanimous decision for the third-degree sexual assault and a mistrial was declared. The third-degree charge was re-filed, and a requested venue change from Cercy was granted, bringing the trial to Thermopolis.

The trial is expected to continue through this week and into the next.