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 ...
Wyoming Congresswoman Harriet Hageman is one hell of a woman. We need more like her.
EXACTLY
Sad that Agent Lunders is still employed, and not in leg irons in a federal penitentiary.
That probably applies to the federales as well.
But I think you could raise a waiver argument with respect to any criminal intent - not to mention that there's no proof of criminal intent on the part of people who weren't alive when the fence was first built. *Not moving* a property boundary that has been acquiesced in by the adjoining landowner would not appear to be grounds for any criminal responsibility - since there is neither *act* nor *intent*.
I think the USFS knew this was a loser, and this was just an exercise in intimidation. "The process is the punishment."
You can bet the farm that he is. And he is looking for some one like you and me to shoot the shit out of. Shooting and beating up people who can’t fight back is how they get their rocks off.
me too. Right on, Maude.
You would think wouldn’t you?
When are Ranger Wheeler and Agent Lauders going to jail? Will they even be disciplined? What about their attorney that filed the charges? If for nothing else they should be charged with being stupid. Oops, not a crime. What a pity.
What I would like to know about this is why the belligerence on the part of the USFS? How did the hunter know were the line actually is and what got his panties in a wad?
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