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July 6, 2017, 12:53 AM | #1 | |
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San Antonio Man Charged With Murder After Shooting Vehicle Burglar
On the internet, you'll often see discussion of Texas laws that allow use of deadly force to defend property in limited circumstances. A man in San Antonio just got a taste of how limited after he was charged with murder as prosecutors say he lay in wait for a man who had repeatedly burglarized his vehicle.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ed-robber.html Quote:
1. You must be in lawful possession of either land or tangible, movable property. 2. You must reasonably believe that force is immediately necessary to terminate the other's trespass on the land or unlawful interference with the property. 3. You must reasonably believe that the other has no claim of right to the property or that you were dispossessed of the property by force, threat or fraud. Once these first three conditions are met, you are allowed under Texas law to use force; but not lethal force to defend your property. In order to use lethal force, you must meet those three conditions AND the following conditions: 4. Deadly force must be IMMEDIATELY necessary in order to: (a) prevent the other's imminent commission of arson, burglary, robbery, aggravated robbery, theft during the nighttime, or criminal mischief during the nighttime OR (b) to prevent the other who is fleeing immediately after committing burglary, robbery, aggravated robbery, or theft during the nighttime from escaping with the property; 5. You must reasonably believe one of the following: (a) the land or property cannot be protected or recovered by any other means; OR (b) the use of force other than deadly force to protect or recover the land or property would expose the actor or another to a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury So once every single one of these conditions has been met, you have a right to use lethal force to defend property in Texas (though it is still possible you may be charged until you can provide sufficient evidence to a jury and/or law enforcement officials that you did in fact meet these conditions). Other good reading on the interpretation of Section 9.42 by Texas courts: Johnson v. State, http://scholar.google.com/scholar_ca...821863426719&q Ewing v. State, http://scholar.google.com/scholar_ca...601322432228&q Kinback v. State, http://scholar.google.com/scholar_ca...244666289702&q Last edited by Bartholomew Roberts; July 6, 2017 at 01:05 AM. |
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July 6, 2017, 03:30 AM | #2 |
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based on the details in the article, i have to agree with charging him, the thief was allegedly retreating when shot
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July 6, 2017, 07:27 AM | #3 | |
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That point has gotten more than a few people sent to prison in Texas. While this person never took any property in this particular incident, many thieves suddenly lose interest in maintaining possession of stolen property once the rightful owner shows up with a gun. If they drop the stolen property while fleeing in the dark of the night, you no longer have any justification under Texas law to use deadly force to prevent them from escaping with the property. |
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July 6, 2017, 10:13 AM | #4 |
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A lot of horse thieves and cattle rustlers have been dealt with in a direct manner in Texas down through the years.
The result of this fellow's trial might not be what the prosecuter quite has in mind. Wonder that the law is if the defendant was waiting or sleeping in the van. Anything like if the thief had broken into the man's house? Should be interesting.
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July 6, 2017, 10:33 AM | #5 | |
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July 6, 2017, 11:43 AM | #6 |
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There is a fair amount of variability across Texas in prosecution of home / property shootings.
In Austin and San Antonio in particular, the DA's there have taken a general attitude that most everyone that uses a gun is going to the Grand Jury, and the Grand Jury's composition in these two "blueberries in a sea of red" per the previous Governor, are pretty anti-gun. Had the same incident happen west of I35, the outcome may be different.
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July 6, 2017, 11:59 AM | #7 | |
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No matter what part of Texas you try that case in, you will have a hard time selling defense of property or defense of self/third party if those reported facts are correct. |
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July 6, 2017, 03:55 PM | #8 |
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Does the arson, burglary, robbery, aggravated robbery, or theft literally have to happen at night for deadly force to be justified, or is that some weird term of law?
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July 6, 2017, 05:26 PM | #9 | |
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You pull into the parking lot of a business that is closed, and shortly after someone pulls up next to you and starts to get in the vehicle. Sounds to me like they arranged that meeting, and the deceased decided upon arrival that it wasn't a meeting he wanted to attend. He was shot anyway as he ran away. That's the initial appearance based on these details. If the investigation is thorough the truth will come out. At best, I guess this warrants a discussion of Texas' force to protect property law, but methinks the only property being protected by the guy charged in this case was some form of illicit activity that we don't yet know about. |
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July 6, 2017, 05:43 PM | #10 | |
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July 7, 2017, 09:08 AM | #11 | |
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So if the defendant was quicker on the draw, and engaged the alleged thief while he was still inside the van, maybe he wouldn't be facing charges?
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July 7, 2017, 10:25 AM | #12 | |
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July 7, 2017, 10:36 AM | #13 |
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Its San Antonio. Of course he was charged. The city government there is hostile to the legal use or carry of firearms.
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July 7, 2017, 12:34 PM | #14 | |
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And if the article is accurate about the incident, it's pretty likely that Ricondo did not use his gun legally.
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July 7, 2017, 12:58 PM | #15 |
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Years ago in San Antonio, a police officer's son was having gang trouble. He fear that the gang would come and vandalize his car. So the officer and his son waited on the reverse slope of the garage and when the gang members showed up - shot them down. Now, their defense was two fold - defending property at night AND they said they thought the breaking glass of the car windows was gun shoots. Supposedly, the latter swayed the jury but one never knows if that was just polite justication. Laying in wait was not seen as a good thing but ...
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July 7, 2017, 02:29 PM | #16 | ||
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https://thefiringline.com/forums/sho...ght=fight+cock
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July 7, 2017, 02:43 PM | #17 | ||
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July 7, 2017, 02:47 PM | #18 | |
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July 8, 2017, 05:51 PM | #19 | |
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Of course even if that really is what happened, the defendant still would likely face criminal charges based off of the brief facts in the article (if they are accurate). Likely not 1st degree murder though. |
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July 8, 2017, 09:05 PM | #20 | ||
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July 9, 2017, 10:31 AM | #21 | |
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Having said all that, statutory law overrides case law and "lying in wait" goes to intent/mens rea. Since 1884 predates the Model Penal Code by quite a bit and "lying in wait" isn't mentioned in the Penal Code, and Texas statutory law basically reflects the model penal code as to mens rea, I would hazard a guess without further research that all the "lying in wait" allegation does is allow the prosecution to argue that rather than second degree murder or manslaughter, this was first degree murder - that he planned to kill the burglar as revenge. |
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July 11, 2017, 12:35 PM | #22 | ||
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Quote:
Campbell v. State, 1884 WL 8493, at *6 (Tex. App. 1884)
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July 11, 2017, 01:48 PM | #23 |
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Does anyone else wonder why we keep reading these stories first in a UK newspaper?
Do they keep personnel over here JUST to find these types of stories?
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July 11, 2017, 02:47 PM | #24 |
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The Daily Mail and other UK tabloids are obsessed with US gun laws and the Kardashians.
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July 12, 2017, 06:11 AM | #25 | |
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If the thief drew a weapon and got shot first then this story may have a different ending.. but the fact that the shooter appeared to be lying in wait for the thief (who apparently repeadily broke into the shooters van), may still be a deciding factor as that gives the appearance of pre- meditation.
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