Kate Michelle Berens v. Eric L. Mumme and The Board of Trustees of the Cheyenne Regional Medical Center, a corporate body and their employee(s) and/or agent(s)

**What Happened** Kate Berens, who worked at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center, filed a lawsuit against her supervisor Eric Mumme and the hospital, claiming battery and negligence. During the legal proceedings, Berens wanted to have a particular judge removed from her case. She filed a request to disqualify the judge, but the lower court said she filed it too late and denied her request. **What the Court Decided** The Wyoming Supreme Court disagreed with the lower court's timing rules. The court ruled that workers have 14 days to request a judge's removal, but this time period only starts when the judge assignment is officially entered into the court record - not when a clerk simply identifies which judge will handle the case. Since Berens filed her request within the proper timeframe, the court sent her case back to continue with legal proceedings. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling clarifies an important procedural right for workers in Wyoming courts. When employees file lawsuits against employers, they can request a different judge if they believe the assigned judge might be biased. This decision ensures workers have adequate time to exercise this right and won't lose it due to confusing paperwork timing. It protects workers' ability to seek fair hearings in employment disputes.