If someone took a sledgehammer to your $9,600 automobile parked on the street, wouldn’t you want criminal charges filed? How is it any different because it was someone else’s tree destroyed, instead of someone else’s car?
Because the tree didn't cost the owner anything? Because it may not have been someone else's tree? I didn't read all of the article so have no idea whose tree this was but a tree does not equate to an automobile. The tree grew on its own, the car had to be paid for. Piss poor analogy on your part.
You don’t sent someone to prison for taking a sledgehammer to a car.
http://www.texaspolicy.com/pdf/2005-04-pp-overcrim.pdf
“If someone took a sledgehammer to your $9,600 automobile parked on the street, wouldn’t you want criminal charges filed? How is it any different because it was someone else’s tree destroyed, instead of someone else’s car?”
How did this walking abuse of power DA come up with the figure of $9,600?
Other than lumber value, how do you place an exact dollar amount on a naturaly growing tree?