--- title: "Kelly Harrison Rankin | KnowJudges" canonical: "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/kelly-h-rankin" page_type: "judge_profile" updated: "2026-10-07" --- # Kelly Harrison Rankin U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming · Chief United States District Judge ## Profile - Court: U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming - State: Wyoming - Role: Chief United States District Judge - Service status: active - Last verified: 2026-07-25 ## Summary Official judge-specific and circuitwide procedural guidance has been located for this profile. ## Biography ### Professional career - Chief Judge, U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming (2025–present) - Judge on the same court since March 12, 2024, appointed by President Joe Biden to replace Nancy D. Freudenthal, who took senior status in 2022 - American lawyer and Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the District of Wyoming, a position he assumed on June 1, 2025 - United States Magistrate Judge, District of Wyoming, 2012-2024; subsequently United States District Judge - Criminal Division Chief, U.S. Attorney’s Office (2010–2012) - Assistant U.S. attorney, District of Wyoming, 2003-2008, 2010-2012; chief, Criminal Division, 2010-2012 - County attorney, Park County, Wyoming, 1999-2003 - Instructor, Introduction to Criminal Justice, Northwest Community College, 1997-2002 - Special assistant U.S. attorney, District of Wyoming, 1999-2001 - Deputy county attorney, Park County, Wyoming, 1995-1998 - Deputy County Attorney in Lincoln and Park Counties (1994–1998) - Deputy county attorney, Lincoln County, Wyoming, 1994-1995 - In summary, Kelly Harrison Rankin is a long-time Wyoming legal professional with extensive experience in county law, federal prosecution, and judicial leadership, now serving as the top federal judge in Wyoming’s district court ### Education - University of Wyoming College of Law — J.D. (1994) - University of Wyoming — B.S. (1990) ### Additional information - Presidential appointment with Senate confirmation; appointing authority: Joseph R. Biden; from 2024-03-12 - Nominated January 10, 2024, by President Biden - Senate Judiciary Committee hearing: January 24, 2024 - Judicial commission issued March 12, 2024 - Confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 7, 2024 by voice vote. - Reported out of committee February 29, 2024, by a 20–1 vote - Chief Magistrate Judge (2012–2024) - Counsel to Wyoming Governor Dave Freudenthal (2010) - Private practice, Cody, Wyoming, 1998-1999 - Born 1967 in Sheridan, Wyoming. - Counsel, Gov. ## Before you appear - Read the judge-specific standing order first when one is listed. - Check the docket and case orders for requirements that supersede broader guidance. - Confirm current remote-access and courtroom technology arrangements before the proceeding. ## Courtroom Rules ### courtroom technology Scope: judge specific Judge-specific source Evidence excerpt: An electronic evidence presentation system is available for use, and counsel is strongly encouraged to make use of this system. We encourage counsel to contact the Courtroom Deputy MiYon Bowden (see above for contact information) prior to trial for a tutorial session to improve evidence presentation and to verify compatibility of equipment. The courtroom also… [CHIEF JUDGE KELLY H. RANKIN | District of Wyoming | United States District Court](https://www.wyd.uscourts.gov/content/chief-judge-kelly-h-rankin) Source checked: 2026-07-24 ### courtroom technology Scope: judge specific Judge-specific source Evidence excerpt: Attorneys should provide their trial exhibits in the proper electronic format a minimum of seven (7) days prior to the start of trial. For detailed instructions on how counsel should format and submit the electronic evidence to the Court, please refer to the Jury Evidence Recording System Information (JERS) at https://www.wyd.uscourts.gov/attorneys . Parties may obtain… [KHRfpt-jury.docx](https://www.wyd.uscourts.gov/sites/wyd/files/KHRfpt-jury.docx) Source checked: 2026-07-24 ### courtroom technology Scope: judge specific Judge-specific source Evidence excerpt: For detailed instructions on how counsel should format and submit the electronic evidence to the Court, please refer to the Jury Evidence Recording System Information (JERS) at https://www.wyd.uscourts.gov/attorneys . P arties may obtain additional information regarding the submission of electronic exhibits by contacting the Clerk’s Office. ( h ) DEPOSITIONS : Any party proposing to… [KHRfpt-bench.docx](https://www.wyd.uscourts.gov/sites/wyd/files/KHRfpt-bench.docx) Source checked: 2026-07-24 ### civil remote testimony Scope: courtwide In federal district-court civil proceedings, testimony is ordinarily taken in open court; remote contemporaneous testimony requires good cause in compelling circumstances and appropriate safeguards. Evidence excerpt: For good cause in compelling circumstances and with appropriate safeguards, the court may permit testimony in open court by contemporaneous transmission from a different location. [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ### criminal recording and broadcasting Scope: courtwide Federal district courts may not permit courtroom photography or broadcasting during criminal judicial proceedings unless a statute or another federal rule provides an exception. Evidence excerpt: Except as otherwise provided by a statute or these rules, the court must not permit the taking of photographs in the courtroom during judicial proceedings or the broadcasting of judicial proceedings from the courtroom. [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) Source checked: 2026-07-26 ## Sources - [Official profile](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761536) - [Official roster](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761536) - [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761536) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9658/kelly-h-rankin/) - [CHIEF JUDGE KELLY H. RANKIN | District of Wyoming | United States District Court](https://www.wyd.uscourts.gov/content/chief-judge-kelly-h-rankin) - [KHRfpt-jury.docx](https://www.wyd.uscourts.gov/sites/wyd/files/KHRfpt-jury.docx) - [KHRfpt-bench.docx](https://www.wyd.uscourts.gov/sites/wyd/files/KHRfpt-bench.docx) - [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) - [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) - [Federal Judicial Center biography](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761536) - [CHIEF JUDGE KELLY H. RANKIN | District of Wyoming | United States District Court](https://www.wyd.uscourts.gov/content/chief-judge-kelly-h-rankin) - [KHRfpt-jury.docx](https://www.wyd.uscourts.gov/sites/wyd/files/KHRfpt-jury.docx) - [KHRfpt-bench.docx](https://www.wyd.uscourts.gov/sites/wyd/files/KHRfpt-bench.docx) - [Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 43(a), Testimony in Open Court](https://www.uscourts.gov/forms-rules/current-rules-practice-procedure/federal-rules-civil-procedure) - [Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 53, Courtroom Photographing and Broadcasting Prohibited](https://www.uscourts.gov/court-records/access-court-proceedings/remote-public-access-proceedings/history-cameras-broadcasting-and-remote-public-access-courts) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9658/kelly-h-rankin/) - [Judge Kelly Harrison Rankin](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761536) - [Official Wyoming judicial source](https://www.wyd.uscourts.gov/content/chief-judge-kelly-h-rankin) - [Official Wyoming judicial source](https://www.wyd.uscourts.gov/court-info) - [CourtListener judicial biographical directory](https://www.courtlistener.com/person/9658/kelly-h-rankin/) - [Judge Kelly Harrison Rankin](https://www.fjc.gov/node/13761536) ## JSON-LD ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/kelly-h-rankin", "url": "https://knowjudges.com/kyj/judge/kelly-h-rankin", "name": "Kelly Harrison Rankin | KnowJudges", "description": "Kelly Harrison Rankin, U.S. District Court for the District of Wyoming. 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Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-civil-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27. - [Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, December 1, 2025](https://knowjudges.com/courtroom-rules/national-shared-set-8721a344fececced2257fe1d) — Criminal proceedings in United States District Courts; this conservative mapping does not distribute appellate-specific provisions to appellate judges. Section-specific exceptions, waivers, later amendments and case orders remain applicable. This is a source excerpt, not an exhaustive statement of the rule. [Official source](https://www.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/document/federal-rules-of-criminal-procedure.pdf). Collected 2026-10-27.