Congressman Raul Labrador issued the following statement after the federal government dropped charges against Jeremy Hill of Bonners Ferry for shooting a grizzly: "I am pleased the US Attorney's Office has chosen to drop all criminal charges against Jeremy Hill.  Jeremy is not a criminal who needed to be prosecuted—he did what he thought necessary to protect his family and then did the right thing by notifying the proper authorities. The federal government has recognized what most Idahoans already knew--that a split-second, life-or-death decision to protect you and your family from a wild, apex predator does not warrant prosecution in the name of species recovery. I am sure the Hill family is very relieved at this time, but Congress needs to reform the law to make sure that no one’s life is ever put at risk because they are afraid to act due to the risk of prosecution.”

Question: Would the federal government have dropped charges if Gov. Otter, the Idaho congressional delegation, and many others hadn't come to Jeremy Hill's defense?