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Protecting Neighbor's Home Self-Defense? [Testing "Castle Doctrine" -Texas]
CBS3.com ^ | Nov 16, 2007 | staff reporter

Posted on 11/16/2007 4:59:15 PM PST by Daffynition

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To: kinoxi
Had to do with the Castle Doctrine law. Other Freepers have noted that defending someone else's property is covered under a different law. The legislator was speaking about the Castle Doctrine, not the other laws.
61 posted on 11/16/2007 5:59:35 PM PST by muawiyah
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To: WorkingClassFilth
My house is being robbed. I have no weapon and in fact, the robbers have tied and gagged me (unbeknown to my neighbor).

The thieves are getting away. Should my neighbor shoot them or just stand there like a dummy.

Kinda puts the thing in a better persepective.

62 posted on 11/16/2007 6:01:08 PM PST by Sacajaweau ("The Cracker" will be renamed "The Crapper")
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To: NoGrayZone
Not likely you can get a cop to hang around while you break into your own home. That's not their job.

After reading this I think the next time I get involved in helping a neighbor break into his own property after execution of an eviction order I'm going armed.

Some old coot come out after me will meet hot lead.

63 posted on 11/16/2007 6:01:22 PM PST by muawiyah
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To: muawiyah

My mistake then. Thank you for clarifying it.


64 posted on 11/16/2007 6:03:02 PM PST by kinoxi
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To: muawiyah

Of course you can. And yes, it is their job. Their job is public saftey. If your neighbor explained what he was about to do and didn’t want any trouble, I’m sure they would have come out, at least until you were in the house. Especially since you said the neighborhood had bike patrol around. And with that fact, why didn’t he call the local dept and advise him so the bike patrol didn’t think you guys were breaking and entering, illegally?


65 posted on 11/16/2007 6:06:34 PM PST by NoGrayZone (Thompson/Hunter 08)
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To: NoGrayZone
Evictions and recovery of property are the business of the Sheriff's office around here. The cops could care less.

Now, about the opportunity to shoot somebody ~ if we had the Texas law in place, then when that guy came out with a shotgun, if it'd been here, we could have plugged him on the spot couldn't we. No questions asked.

That's why you really do have to be careful who you shoot even if you think the law is on your side.

Sometimes it's simply a case of someone not being polite, and then the guys getting shot are the plumbers who were putting in a new drain while you were on vacation somewhere.

Or, in our hypothetical case here (where we don't have the Texas law, but if we did) anyone who questioned us breaking into my friend's home could be shot ~ wouldn't even have to notice if he had a weapon ~ just note that he was impertinent and nosey ~ then bang.

All these cases where an armed man shoots unarmed people in somebody else's front yard almost all go to trial and he goes to jail.

In some cases it doesn't seem right, but in general it's not good public policy to let folks shoot unarmed people.

66 posted on 11/16/2007 6:13:46 PM PST by muawiyah
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To: Bronzewound
Or, I could be wrong. Maybe he was just looking to kill somebody.

Many thoughts going thru my mind right now like I want him for my neighbor, or I want to move to Texas or I want him to become my neighbor here and then invite my old VP of HR over to my house and tell him the door is open but he has to push really, really hard to get it open.......

67 posted on 11/16/2007 6:13:52 PM PST by Hot Tabasco (I could be Agent "HT")
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To: Sacajaweau

you have a good point, here is another. your neighbor who might not have fired a weapon in years or has little or no target training, nervous system going crazy, misses and kills the little 4 year old girl playing in her front yard 2 houses down, over a stolen vcr or tv. I see both sides of this story and it is going to be interesting to see how it plays out.


68 posted on 11/16/2007 6:14:27 PM PST by bobby.223
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To: Daffynition

If I were the neighbor, I’d be paying for this man’s legal defense. Happily.


69 posted on 11/16/2007 6:15:44 PM PST by wbill
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To: Hot Tabasco
Yes, invite Steve Levy over ~ he's gotta' bang the door ~ and that attracts the attention of the old coot next door he steps out and shoots him.

Now, explain to the lawyer who's going to defend you why it was you invited the VP of HR over ~ he knows better ~ his fee is going to be really high on this one.

70 posted on 11/16/2007 6:17:21 PM PST by muawiyah
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To: achilles2000
As multiple posts show, in Texas you can use deadly force to defend someone else’s property. That law predated the “castle doctrine”, which addressed a different problem.

Yes, it's true, but ONLY IF:

The other guy ASKED you to defend said property, AND

the deadly force is IMMEDIATELY necessary to prevent escape, and you reasonably believe there is NO OTHER alternative than deadly force, or that using anything LESS than deadly force would pose a serious risk to your safety.

"Boom, you're dead" doesn't sound like the words of a man who fears for his life and safety or has no other alternative to halt the escape than to pull the trigger, it sounds like a line from a B-grade action flick.

And I doubt it'll play well with a jury.

71 posted on 11/16/2007 6:18:20 PM PST by mvpel (Michael Pelletier)
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To: muawiyah

Did your neighbor call the Sheriff’s office and try to obtain the key? Also, why not just call the local dept. and let them know the situation so if someone did see you guys breaking in and called the cops they would know it’s kosher. The guy who shot the scum did call 911 first. Besides, I’m pretty sure the neighbors already knew some of what was going on already.


72 posted on 11/16/2007 6:18:46 PM PST by NoGrayZone (Thompson/Hunter 08)
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To: Godwin1
"Wednesday's shooting "clearly is going to stretch the limits of the self-defense law," said a legal expert."

I'm not a lawyer, but I don't think you can shoot someone who is leaving private property.

73 posted on 11/16/2007 6:18:56 PM PST by Albert Guérisse
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To: mvpel

Depends who’s on the jury.


74 posted on 11/16/2007 6:20:15 PM PST by NoGrayZone (Thompson/Hunter 08)
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To: Albert Guérisse

In Texas, you can shoot someone committing a crime at nighttime if you reasonably believe that there is no other alternative to stop the crime or stop them from escaping with your property.


75 posted on 11/16/2007 6:20:31 PM PST by mvpel (Michael Pelletier)
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To: Hot Tabasco

Texas, here I come!!!!


76 posted on 11/16/2007 6:21:20 PM PST by NoGrayZone (Thompson/Hunter 08)
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To: wbill

Ditto!


77 posted on 11/16/2007 6:21:47 PM PST by NoGrayZone (Thompson/Hunter 08)
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To: NoGrayZone
Are you kidding? The tenant was out on the street. The place was emptied of anything they wanted to take with them, and the Sheriff was back at home eating dinner.

Landlords are expected to have some gumption. Getting their own doors open is their problem, not the Sheriff's.

78 posted on 11/16/2007 6:22:02 PM PST by muawiyah
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To: Wally_Kalbacken

Not sure what you are meaning by “Vicarious self defense”, but the Castel Doctrine in effect since last September DOES apply to one’s property in TEXAS.

Sounds like these wetbacks decided to come into the old man’s yard at which point he shot to SOBs. Sounds like Castle Doctrine is covered!!

Just like car jacking, the sooner all these klinton supports get the message that it might cost them their life, the sooner lots of these breakin will cease as well.


79 posted on 11/16/2007 6:23:24 PM PST by dusttoyou (FredHead from the git go)
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To: Daffynition
Texas needs the "Either/Or" clause in the law.

What is the "Either/Or" clause you ask?

"EITHER" I shoot the thug breaking into my house "OR" my neighbor does if I'm not home.......

80 posted on 11/16/2007 6:23:30 PM PST by Hot Tabasco (I could be Agent "HT")
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