Another federal judge steps away from ATV protest case

Yet another federal judge is passing off the case of a county commissioner convicted of leading an ATV protest ride through a closed canyon. U.S. District Court Judge David Sam said in a motion filed Monday that he needed to step aside but didn't explain why. Judge David Nuffer now becomes the fourth judge to handle the case. The 2014 ride was designed to protest what organizers called federal overreach in closing a southeastern Utah canyon to motorized vehicles. San Juan County Commissioner Phil Lyman and blogger Monte Wells were found guilty of misdemeanor charges. They are awaiting sentencing. Judges Jill Parrish and Robert Shelby previously recused themselves to avoid the appearance of impropriety. Parrish said she represented the Bureau of Land Management during her eight-year stint as a federal prosecutor.  AP