<A HREF="http://money.cnn.com/2007/03/14/technology/hpq/index.htm">Contrary to earlier reports</A> that former HP Chair Patricia Dunn and her cohorts would be pleading guilty, a California state judge has thrown out the charges.

A state judge in California Wednesday dropped the charges against ex-Hewlett-Packard Chair Patricia Dunn, who was accused of wire fraud in the company's boardroom spying scandal. Dunn originally faced four felony charges and jail time in the case.

Three other defendants--Kevin Hunsaker, Ronald DeLia and Matthew Depante--pleaded "no contest" to the wire fraud charge, a misdemeanor in California.