Criminal charges will not be pursued against a polygamous family made famous by the reality TV show “Sister Wives,” a Utah prosecutor wrote Thursday in federal court filings.

The case against Kody Brown and his four wives — Meri, Janelle, Christine and Robyn — stars of the TLC show, has been closed, Utah County Attorney Jeff Buhman wrote in a motion seeking to have a lawsuit against his county dismissed.

Additional Photos

Kody Brown poses with his wives, from left, Janelle, Christine, Meri, and Robyn, in a promotional photo for TLC’s reality TV show, “Sister Wives.” The family includes 16 children. The Associated Press

Matthew Fox

Naomi Judd

Brown moved his wives and 16 children from Lehi, about 30 miles south of Salt Lake City, to the Las Vegas area in January 2011 after Utah authorities launched a bigamy investigation.

The Browns then sued Utah County along with Utah’s governor and attorney general, claiming the state’s bigamy statute violates their constitutional rights to due process, equal protection, free exercise of religion, free speech and freedom of association.

A federal judge later dropped the state from the case but allowed it to continue against the county.

U.S. District Judge Clark Waddoups said he dismissed Gov. Gary Herbert and Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff because Shurtleff had assured the Browns they wouldn’t be prosecuted under his policy that consenting adult polygamists won’t be charged as long as they’re not committing other crimes.

However, Waddoups noted that the Browns had reason to believe they could still face prosecution in Utah County, and agreed it could have a chilling effect on their ability to practice their constitutional rights in the state.

Buhman wrote in his Thursday motion that his county, too, had adopted the same state policy and would not pursue bigamy cases unless there was evidence of a victim or fraud.

“The criminal case against the Browns is closed and no charges will be filed against them for bigamy unless new evidence is discovered which would comport with the office’s new policy,” Buhman wrote.

The Browns’ attorney Jonathan Turley said he was pleased but noted the family didn’t plan to drop the lawsuit, claiming state law remained “blatantly unconstitutional.”

Bus driver, ‘Lost’ actor drop lawsuit, countersuit

A private bus driver in Ohio who claimed she was punched by Matthew Fox has withdrawn her lawsuit against the actor.

Heather Bormann sued the former star of TV’s “Lost” in November, seeking $75,000 in damages. Fox countersued, claiming the Cleveland woman assaulted and slandered him. Court records show both suits were dropped Thursday.

Bormann had alleged Fox struck her after she stopped him from boarding a chartered party bus on Aug. 28. She said she hit him in self-defense. Fox wasn’t charged.

Naomi Judd gets talk show on Sirius radio

Naomi Judd’s new limited-run SiriusXM radio talk show has no safety net and even the country star said with a laugh she isn’t sure that’s a great idea.

“If you’ve been at a press conference, you know I’ve said things I haven’t thought of — whoa,” Judd said. “That’s why they asked me. And there’s no five-second delay. I’m wandering the woods without a map.”

Judd hopes “Think Twice,” which starts its six-week run of hourlong Friday morning episodes June 8, will be a place the satellite radio network’s 22 million subscribers can turn to for a free-form discussion of ideas and topics, from current events and politics to hot-button issues like abortion and evolution.

The 66-year-old Grammy winner and daughter Ashley Judd will tape the debut episode Tuesday in front of a studio audience.

– From news service reports

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