Governor picks Castano as district judge

Alexis Barker
NLJ News Editor
 
Matthew Castano has been tapped by Gov. Mark Gordon to be district court judge for the Sixth Judicial District serving Crook, Weston and Campbell counties, according to a Feb. 2 press release. Castano will replace Thomas W. Rumpke, who announced his March 2 retirement in November of last year. 
Castano has served as a circuit court judge in the Sixth Judicial District since 2014, the press release says. He had previously spent 13 years in private practice with Brown & Hiser in Laramie. 
During his career, Castano has also worked as a staff attorney for the Sixth Judicial District Child Support Authority and as the circuit court magistrate in Albany County, overseeing the Albany County Drug Court. 
“Matthew’s broad experience serving the people of Crook, Weston and Campbell counties as a Circuit Court judge [and his] thoughtful and deliberate approach will serve him well on the District Court,” Gordon said in the press release. 
Once Castano’s appointment becomes effective on March 2, the Judicial Nominating Commission will select candidates to replace Castano on the circuit court. To serve as a circuit court judge, an individual must be a qualified elector of the state and authorized to practice law in the state. 
“The Judicial Nominating Commission will accept expressions of interest from qualified persons to fill the vacancy through March 3, 2022,” a Feb. 3 press release states. “The expression of interest form can be obtained from the Supreme Court’s website, courts.state.wy.us/Administration/Careers.”
Once the commission selects three candidates, Gordon will make the appointment.