A federal judge threw out charges against a member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe who shot and killed an eagle without a federal permit.

U.S. District Judge William Downes is preparing a written decision on his opinion. It's not clear his reasoning but attorneys for Winslow Friday, the man charged, and the tribe argued that federal regulations infringed on religious rights.

Friday had killed an eagle on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming for a religious ceremony. Tribal elders testified of long waits to receive eagle feathers and parts from the federal eagle repository.

Get the Story:
Judge dismisses eagle killing charge (The Casper Star-Tribune 10/7)

Relevant Links:
National Eagle Repository - http://www.r6.fws.gov/law/le65.html

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