Lowering Restitution Amount In Wyoming

As a part of the sentencing process, the trial court is required to order a defendant to pay restitution, if applicable, and if the defendant has the ability to pay or if there is a reasonable probability that he will have the ability to pay. Wyo. Stat. Ann. 7-9-102. Appellate review of ordered restitution is confined to a search for procedural error or a clear abuse of discretion. Aldridge v. State, 956 P.2d 341, 343 (Wyo. 1998). The amount of restitution fixed by the trial court should be supported by evidence sufficient to afford a reasonable basis for estimating the loss. Hilterbrand v. State, 930 P.2d 1248, 1250 (Wyo. 1997). A challenge to the amount of restitution set by the court must demonstrate an abuse of discretion. Id. "Judicial discretion is a composite of many things, among which are conclusions drawn from objective criteria; it means a sound judgment exercised with regard to what is right under the circumstances and without doing so arbitrarily or capriciously." Brock v. State, 967 P.2d 26, 27 (Wyo. 1998) (quoting Vaughn v. State, 962 P.2d 149, 151 (Wyo. 1998)).