Cheyenne man pleads not guilty to intimidating election officials

CHEYENNE — Joshua Hayden-Ali, known to local store owners as “Wisdom,” pleaded not guilty Thursday to criminal trespass, breach of peace and intimidation.

The charges originated from an incident on Aug. 6, when Hayden-Ali entered the Laramie County Governmental Complex, allegedly disrupting an election site and tearing up election materials.

As of June 29, 2023, Hayden-Ali has been trespassed from the courthouse until 2033. This means he cannot legally be in the courthouse unless he is there for official business, due to several previous incidents of disruptive and threatening behavior.

On the day of the incident, Laramie County Sheriff’s Deputy Ramon Colvert responded to a call from a local coffee shop employee. The employee sounded stressed and twice repeated the phrase “he was here,” to Colvert, referring to Hayden-Ali, according to the probable cause affidavit.

Upon arriving on the scene, Ramon was able to confirm that Hayden-Ali was in the building and had been asked to leave by election officials, whom he ignored. He had been walking through the building, tapping his staff with each step he took.

Hayden-Ali claimed to be in the courthouse on official business, meeting his public defender. However, the Public Defender’s office confirmed he didn’t have any meetings scheduled with them that day.

According to court documents, the situation escalated when Hayden-Ali proceeded into the voting area, even though he was asked to leave. He eventually left the voting area, tearing up printed election materials he had picked up and throwing the remnants on the floor.

During the incident in the atrium, at least one voter told elections worker Charles Simineo that they were concerned about the safety of election officials, according to the affidavit of arrest.

As he was leaving the atrium, Hayden-Ali was asked by Culvert to talk, which prompted Hayden-Ali to begin cursing at Culvert.

Instead of talking to Culvert, Hayden-Ali attempted to go through security, continuing to curse. When he was asked to stop using profanity, as children were present, he proceeded to direct his profanities at the deputy at the security desk.

When it was clear that Hayden-Ali’s behavior would not stop, the deputy loudly told Ali that he could not go to the upstairs area of the courthouse, ordering him to leave, which he did, according to the affidavit of arrest.

During his arraignment hearing on Thursday, Hayden-Ali pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal trespass, breach of peace and intimidation. Criminal trespass and breach of peace are both misdemeanors punishable by up to six months in jail and/or a $750 fine.

Knowingly intimidating people to interfere with an election is a felony in Wyoming, punishable by up to five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine.

Hayden-Ali was originally charged with misdemeanor intimidation; however, the charge was amended as of Aug. 13, indicating that Hayden-Ali was trying “to impede or prevent the free exercise of the elective franchise or the impartial administration of the election code.”

Hayden-Ali is out on a cash bond of $1,500, which was posted on his behalf earlier this month. His trial was set for Dec. 30.