Wild horse advocates score legal victory
RENO -- Protection advocates have claimed a rare legal victory as part of a larger effort to end federal roundups of free-roaming horses on public lands in the Western United States.
A federal judge in Sacramento, Calif., ruled on Wednesday that In Defense of Animals and others can move forward with their lawsuit accusing the Bureau of Land Management of violating U.S. laws that protect the animals on the range.
Judge Morrison England Jr. denied BLM's motion to dismiss the lawsuit based on claims it is moot because the specific roundup in question was completed months ago in Nevada and California.
He said if he finds the roundups illegal, he can order the horses returned to the range. He also said he can order BLM to follow the law in future.
