Judge clears Steven Kurtz

A judge in Buffalo, N.Y., has thrown out charges against a college art professor accused of improperly obtaining biological materials for an exhibit protesting U.S. government policies.

U.S. District Judge Richard Arcara ruled this week that the 2004 mail and wire fraud indictment against Steven Kurtz, a University at Buffalo professor, was “insufficient on its face.”

Kurtz is a founding member of the Critical Art Ensemble, which has used human DNA and other biological materials in works intended to spotlight political and social issues. His arrest drew protests as an intrusion on artistic freedom.