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Originally Posted by EddieDaGreat
...I rather pay lawyer fees and know that justice was served.. Than to pay damages and know that the bad guy is smoking it up with his friends talking about how someone just got jacked...
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If you're lucky, they run a $1,000 to $2,000. If you're not lucky, the lawyer will be getting from $250/hour to $350/hour, or more; and it adds up fast. If you're arrested, you may need to make bail. If you don't have the full amount of the cash, you'll pay a bondsman 10% of the bail amount to post a bond on your behalf.
All the legal stuff will probably cause you to lose some time from work. Your family, friends, neighbors and co-workers may or may not understand. They may treat you differently -- may be good or not. If you did shoot the thief, you are now the person in your circle who has committed an act of extreme violence on another person. That sort of thing usually affects relationships.
It may be one thing to put yourself and your family through all that when your life or one of their lives was on the line. It may be another thing to put yourself and your family through all of that over possessions.
No one likes getting robbed. It's an insult and an awful violation of your sense of personal security. And we've all worked hard for what we have. And you're lucky to live in Texas where you can even contemplate using lethal force to stop a theft (as long as it's at night). In many other States, even threatening lethal force to stop someone who was merely stealing would almost certainly be a felony (and a loss of the right to possess a gun).
But even in Texas, there can be a price tag for protecting your property and pride. It's up to you. You do the math.