Nevada Judge Dismisses Bundy Case

LAS VEGAS (AP) — U.S. judge in Nevada dismisses charges against rancher Cliven Bundy and his 2 sons.

Chief U.S. District Judge Gloria Navarro's ruling on Monday comes after she declared a mistrial last month in proceedings against 71-year-old Cliven Bundy, sons Ryan and Ammon Bundy, and Montana militia leader Ryan Payne.

The judge signaled at that time that she might dismiss the case outright.

Navarro severely criticized prosecutors for what she called "willful" violations of due process rights of defendants, including failing to properly turn over evidence to their lawyers.

Her decision is sure to reverberate among states' rights advocates in the Western U.S., where the federal government controls vast lands that some people want to protect and others want used for grazing, mining and oil and gas drilling.