[ by Melanie Gretchen ] Lance Armstrong will have to face non-criminal charges filed in June by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency that he and other cyclists conspired to cheat by using performance-enhancing drugs.  Armstrong sued the USADA, arguing that the nonprofit organization, which polices drug use in American sports, had no authority to bring a doping case against him;  after a federal judge dismissed a case by the former cyclist against the agency, he has to decide whether to risk losing 7 Tour de France titles if an arbitration panel finds him guilty. U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks in Austin Texas dismissed the case on the grounds that federal court wasn't the place for disputes.  In doing so, he also sent a message to other athletes looking to challenge drug charges.

"This Court simply has no business telling national and international amateur athletic organizations how to regulate their respective sports." -- Judge Sparks.

The agency has the authority to ban athletes from competing in elite-level sports.  In his defense, Armstrong denied using such drugs or other banned methods.  Three options he has going forward include:

• Seeking to overturn the judge's decision by appealing to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in New Orleans
• Accept the charges against him
• Fight the charges, arguing his case in front of a 3-person panel of independent arbitrators

He has until Thursday. For further details, go to [WSJ, 8/21/12].