Maude family trial moved to July 

A new court date has been set for ranchers Charles and Heather Maude of Caputa, SD.

The trial date, originally set for April 29, was postponed to July 22 in a federal district court in Rapid City, SD. Last June, the Maudes were indicted by a grand jury, who said the couple “did knowingly steal, purloin, and convert to their own use of National Grasslands managed by the United States Department of Agriculture … approximately 25 acres of National Grasslands for cultivation and approximately 25 acres of National Grasslands for grazing cattle,” by building a fence.

Ranchers across the country have been calling for the couple’s charges to be dropped, even calling on President Donald Trump to pardon them. Heather and Charles were indicted separately and each face up to 10 years in prison or a $250,000 fine. A GoFundMe had raised more than $76,000 for the family as of April 16.