Trump Administration Drops Charges Against South Dakota's Maude Family

The Trump Administration has dropped criminal charges against Charles and Heather Maude, a South Dakota ranching family accused of unlawfully using 50 acres of federal land for cultivation and grazing. The dispute, which began as a civil matter over fence lines and planting, escalated into a criminal prosecution that officials in the current administration described as overreach by the previous administration. USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins and other officials criticized the prosecution as a politically motivated attack on a family with a long history of farming in the region, arguing that such cases should remain civil, not criminal. The administration emphasized its commitment to protecting farmers and ranchers and ending what it calls 'regulation by prosecution.' The Maude family is scheduled to speak at a press conference in Washington, D.C., following the dismissal of their case.