Wyoming has agreed to pay $150,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a hemp farmer who was mistakenly accused of growing and trafficking marijuana, marking the conclusion of a years-long legal battle, WyoFile reports.
The settlement was awarded to Debra Palm-Egle, whose farm in Albin, near the Nebraska border, was raided in 2019 by agents from the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI). Acting on a tip from a neighboring farmer, investigators suspected that Palm-Egle was cultivating marijuana. Officers armed with assault rifles seized approximately 700 pounds of plant material, which was later determined through laboratory testing to be hemp—an agricultural crop with minimal THC content that lacks the psychoactive effects of marijuana.
Despite the test results, Palm-Egle, her son, and two farm employees were charged with multiple felony offenses, including conspiracy to manufacture and distribute marijuana. If convicted, the senior citizen faced a potential prison sentence of several decades. However, a Laramie County judge dismissed the case, ruling that prosecutors lacked evidence that the farmers intended to grow an illegal substance.
Palm-Egle subsequently filed a federal civil lawsuit against the state, arguing that the investigation was negligent and that law enforcement overstepped its authority. The legal battle extended into 2025, with the Wyoming Supreme Court weighing in on various aspects of the case, including the conduct of both prosecutors and investigators.
In 2021, the state Supreme Court formally censured David Singleton, the lead prosecutor on the case, for failing to correct false testimony given by a DCI agent. Despite this disciplinary action, Singleton was later appointed as a municipal court judge in Cheyenne. The agent involved, Jon Briggs, was also investigated but was ultimately cleared of wrongdoing and continues to work for DCI.
For Palm-Egle, the settlement represents closure after years of legal and financial hardship. She noted that, after covering attorney fees, the final amount she received was not significantly higher than the $54,000 she had spent on criminal defense lawyers. She described the ordeal as “traumatizing,” particularly the fear of facing a lengthy prison sentence.
Additionally, court-imposed travel restrictions forced her to remain in Wyoming for nine months, disrupting medical treatments for her multiple sclerosis.
“It needed to be done,” Palm-Egle said of her lawsuit. “Maybe it will help them stop and think.”
The settlement comes at a time when Wyoming lawmakers have considered limiting the ability of citizens to sue law enforcement for negligent investigations. A proposed bill that would have shielded investigators from lawsuits like Palm-Egle’s was drafted but ultimately not advanced by the state’s Joint Judiciary Committee. However, it remains unclear whether similar legislation will be introduced in the future.
Palm-Egle’s son continues to cultivate hemp, using it to produce herbal medicines. As for Palm-Egle, she plans to use the remaining settlement funds to complete a long-postponed barn renovation.
“Thank God, it’s over,” she reflected on her prolonged legal battle. “This has been a long fight, and I’m grateful that I’m finished with this, and I hope that no one else goes through this in the state.”
