Man Cleared for Killing Neighbor's Burglars - 'Castle Doctrine' Gives Texans Unprecedented .....

ABC News ^ | June 30, 2008 | CHRIS BURY and HOWARD L. ROSENBERG

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

'Castle Doctrine' Gives Texans Unprecedented Authority to Take Action Against Intruders

A Texas man who shot and killed two men he believed to be burglarizing his neighbor's home won't be going to trial. A grand jury today failed to indict Joe Horn, a 61-year-old computer technician who lives in an affluent subdivision in Pasadena, Texas.In the Lone Star state, where the six-gun tamed the frontier, shooting bad guys is a time-honored tradition, and Horn's case centered on a Texas state law based on the old idea that "a man's home is his castle." The "castle law" gives Texans unprecedented legal authority to use deadly force in their homes, vehicles and workplaces. And no longer do they have an obligation to retreat, if possible, before they shoot.

"I understand the concerns of some in the community regarding Mr. Horn's conduct," Harris County District Attorney Kenneth Magidson told reporters at the courthouse. "The use of deadly force is carefully limited in Texas law to certain circumstances. ... In this case, however, the grand jury concluded that Mr. Horn use of deadly force did not rise to a criminal offense."

'I'm Gonna Shoot!'

Horn called 911 in November to report a burglary in broad daylight at the house next door.

[Dog Gone]

The local newspapers were on a campaign to see Horn indicted. I’m sure they’ll have an editorial tomorrow morning denouncing this.

I am sick to death of the relatives of the perps demanding justice.

Here’s some justice. Don’t be stupid and attempt burglaries in front of well-armed Texans or you might get your ass blown off.

[TexasCajun]

In 1955 Pasadena was 30 miles from Houston.

[NonValueAdded]

I shed no tears for the bad guys but I also think he went too far. Excesses like that will get the laws to swing back too far in the other direction and that will hurt us all. He got very lucky with the grand jury.

[NucSubs]

wOW...That is pathetic.

[BlazingArizona]

Joe shot these guys in the back with a shotgun and got by with it.

If this happened a lot more often, the crime rate would fall right off a cliff. Those guys are not known for their courage.

[BOBTHENAILER]

Great news BUMP! ! ! ! !

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

He got very lucky with the grand jury.

I take it you're not very familiar with Texas and Texans?

It was widely expected here that the grand jury would decline to prosecute.

[weegee]

A Texas man who shot and killed two men he believed to be burglarizing his neighbor's home

If ABCDisney News thinks they have any evidence to the contrary that these men were engaging in a criminal act they should speak up now.

Otherwise it is a slur to omit details of criminal action on the part of the invaders and suggest that the man was "in error" believing them to be criminals.

[weegee]

Houston PING

[weegee]

Houston PING

[BigDaddyTX]

http://tlo2.tlc.state.tx.us/statutes/docs/PE/content/htm/pe.002.00.000009.00.htm

It’s been on the books for a long time.

[MaxMax]

GO TEXAS! Damn I miss Texas, but I also love Virginia.

[stevio]

You can say that again. Come on Texas, show the rest of us the way!

[weegee]

Houston PING

[GulfBreeze]

That’s a little gruesome huh? I mean the guy is dead for months now and she’s STILL his fiance’? GROSS!

[r_barton]

It’s better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6. That applies to the burglars too. They should have stopped. But they didn’t. So they were carried by six. Their choice. Glad Mr. Horn won’t have to go to trial.

[Feckless]

Bless you, my coon-ass brethren. you sound just like my Ohio born wife, who, by the way is packing 24/7. Not a bad shot with 248 out of a possible 250 on the CHL range.

[HwyChile]

That is the best story I have every read. I love it.

[HwyChile]

What people miss in this story is that the shooter may have saved lives by shooting those two criminals. Criminals like that often end up hurting or killing someone while committing crimes. Why should some future victim get hurt or killed by those criminals? The shooter did society a big favor and did not go too far.

[isthisnickcool]

She should be kissing the guy’s feet. He saved her from marrying jailbait.

She apparently is not a saint herself and jail is apparently nothing new to her.