Federal judge says lawsuit over fire at landmark Cheyenne hotel should be heard in Wyoming

CASPER, Wyo. — A legal battle over an arson fire that destroyed a landmark Cheyenne hotel will play out in Wyoming.

A federal judge in New Jersey granted a motion from the insurance company, National Surety Corp., to move the case to Wyoming on Monday. The Casper Star-Tribune (http://bit.ly/Kr2yjr) reported the decision came during a hearing in Trenton.

National Surety accuses the owners of the hotel, CJM Hospitality LLC, of intentionally burning the hotel to collect $13.6 million in insurance money.

CJM filed a lawsuit against the insurance company in New Jersey in December, because the company has refused to cover the loss of the hotel. National Surety countered by filing a lawsuit in Wyoming.

For decades, the hotel served as the favored bunkhouse and watering hole for Wyoming state lawmakers.

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Information from: Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune, http://www.trib.com

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