40-12-403. Investigation of complaints; enforcement; attorney's fees.

(a) The enforcing authority shall investigate any complaints received concerning violations of this article. If, after investigating any complaint, the enforcing authority finds that there has been a violation of this article, the enforcing authority may bring an action to impose a civil penalty and to seek other relief, including injunctive relief. The civil penalty imposed shall be as follows:

(i) For the first violation, not to exceed five hundred dollars ($500.00);

(ii) For the second violation, not to exceed two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500.00);

(iii) For the third and subsequent violations, not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) per violation.

(b) An action under this section may be brought in the district court of the county in which a commercial electronic mail message that violates this article has been received or in the district court of Laramie county, Wyoming. The civil penalty provided under this section may be recovered in any action brought under this article by the enforcing authority, or the enforcing authority may terminate any investigation or action upon agreement with the person violating this article to pay a stipulated civil penalty.

(c) In any civil litigation resulting from a transaction involving a violation of this article, the prevailing party, after judgment in the trial court and exhaustion of all appeals, if any, shall receive reasonable attorney's fees and costs from the nonprevailing party.

(d) The remedies provided by this section are not exclusive and shall not preclude the imposition of any other relief or criminal penalties provided by law.