Sorry...First thing that popped into my head. 😜
Posted on 04/29/2025 11:20:10 AM PDT by CFW
Ranchers and their elected representatives have won a major battle. The federal government dropped criminal charges against Charles and Heather Maude of Caputa, SD.
Ben Patterson, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Federal District Court in the Western Division of South Dakota signed a motion to dismiss the indictment against Charles Maude and Heather Maude, dated April 28.
South Dakota ranchers Charles and Heather Maude were indicted separately nearly a year ago on charges of theft of federal property stemming from a fenceline dispute about a fence built before either were born.
Wyoming Congresswoman Harriet Hageman is pleased with the news of the dismissal. “I’m excited for the Maudes. I’m very pleased that we were able to get this resolved for them and that the Trump administration and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins has taken this so seriously.”
The Republican Congresswoman said the U.S. Forest Service employee’s actions last spring were designed to send a very strong message to livestock producers that the agency “was not necessarily their friends.”
(Excerpt) Read more at tsln.com ...
New Trial Date for Charles and Heather Maude
Sometimes elections have positive consequences for the little guy. Good for Sec Rollins in correcting this travesty.
Background:
What happened?
“As it was reported in Tri-State Livestock News and The Fence Post Magazine, on March 29, 2024, Special Agent Lunders and U.S. Forest Service Patrol Captain Jeff Summers told the Maudes they received a complaint from a hunter a no trespassing sign was posted on a fence not built upon the correct boundary. The Maudes removed the sign from the fence, which was built sometime prior to the 1950s. The family owned their property adjacent to the U.S. Forest Service-managed Buffalo Gap National Grasslands (BGNG) since 1910.
The fence, built sometime between 1910 and 1950, was accepted as the property boundary by the USDA annually through the certification of acres by the USDA Farm Service Agency every year since the National Grasslands came into existence in 1960.
The Maudes met on May 1 with Special Agent Lunders and USFS District Ranger Julie Wheeler. The conclusion reached that day was a land survey would be needed first and foremost and that would take time, up to a year according to Wheeler. The Maudes scheduled a meeting at the allotment so the District Ranger could see the fence and move toward a resolution. Five days later, Lunders again arrived — and entered private property — with a survey crew to complete a survey the Maudes were not a party to. Neither a copy of the survey nor a copy of the original complaint allegedly issued by a hunter has been made available.
U.S. Forest Service Special Agent Travis Lunders arrived unannounced at the Maudes’ home on June 24, 2024, armed and in tactical gear, to serve the couple with separate federal indictments. The indictments were for the alleged theft of government property stemming from the placement of a fence built at least 75 years ago. The Maudes each faced 10 years in prison and $250,000 in fines over the 50 acres in question and were ordered not to speak to one another about the case.”
Sorry...First thing that popped into my head. 😜
The Forest Service is not to be trusted with any power.... experience here in New Mexico has taught us they shouldn’t be trusted with matches either.
Given repeated government acceptance of the fence, it would seem that adverse possession would apply.
“were ordered not to speak to one another about the case”
He would have gotten a big FU.
Is this clown still working and carrying a weapon?
that’s how liberal democrat progressive bass tards do business...they search and search for any tiny little thing to SCREW a American citizens but just try to do them justice and the American citizens get SCREWED again. and again. and again. what will it take to finally take the government agents and agencies to task for their war against American citizens who just want justice?
Can they sue U.S. Forest Service Special Agent Travis Lunders. Maybe take away his tactile queer gear?
I hope Agent Lunders is fired or transferred to Florida to invasive python patrol.
There's a big problem right there. Why weren't US Marshals used, and why do agencies get to have their own police forces to enforce their own writs? What judge signed off on this travesty, if any?
I guess they're lucky they didn't get the Ruby Ridge treatment.
Pam Bondi haters. Cowardly Crickets today.
Wayne Hage got that message over 35 years ago.
the left hate ranchers
you know
the whole cow meat thing
I hope the administration has made an example of the rogue employee. Boundary disputes are a civil matter settled by proper surveys.
Sounds like some feral gubmint lawyers need to be made an example of too.
“I hope the administration has made an example of the rogue employee. Boundary disputes are a civil matter settled by proper surveys.”
Unless, of course, your administration has a deep hatred for ranchers as the Biden handlers did. Then you find reasons to make it a federal criminal case. The Maudes should have, in a proper free nation, a case against the federal government for violations of their Constitutional rights.
Sure, I hope the Maudes have a path to attain restitution. But Trump needs to keep taking out the trash, hauling it away in garbage trucks and burning it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.