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Man Cleared for Killing Neighbor's Burglars - 'Castle Doctrine' Gives Texans Unprecedented .....
ABC News ^ | June 30, 2008 | CHRIS BURY and HOWARD L. ROSENBERG

Posted on 06/30/2008 5:14:58 PM PDT by 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.

(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 2ndamendment; armedcitizenry; bang; banglist; burglar; burglary; castledoctrine; crime; intruder; joehorn; rkba; secondamendment; texas
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach


If I hadn't read the posts here I wouldn't have known that both Horn and the dead perps were all on Horn's property. That makes two good legal decisions lately.

81 posted on 07/01/2008 12:41:22 AM PDT by TheMole
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To: All

Texas is awesome. A man can actually defend friends and family and criminals face the consequences of their actions.


82 posted on 07/01/2008 2:39:33 AM PDT by Toadman ((molon labe))
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

For the RINO-lovers, pacifistic weinies, anti-gun/self-defense goofballs, and self-described legal “expert” Freepers out there who said this man was wrong for doing what he did and/or that he was going to be convicted, I/WE hate (NOT!) to tell you - WE TOLD YOU SO!


83 posted on 07/01/2008 3:35:41 AM PDT by DocH (hillary, hussein, and juan - what kind of choice is THAT? God help us.)
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To: Allegra

Hell yeah!

Joe Horn deserves a “Neighbor Of The Year” award!


84 posted on 07/01/2008 3:57:45 AM PDT by humblegunner
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To: DoughtyOne; ErnBatavia

In FL it doesn’t matter where the body is anymore. They’ve extended the law to include nay part of your property, not just indoors- and they’ve even gone farther. The right to defend yourself and/or others now includes “any place you have a right to be” or something to that effect.

FL has passed some good laws in recent years.

from: http://www.gunlaws.com/FloridaCastleDoctrine.htm

The Florida “Castle Doctrine” law basically does three things:

One: It establishes, in law, the presumption that a criminal who forcibly enters or intrudes into your home or occupied vehicle is there to cause death or great bodily harm, therefore a person may use any manner of force, including deadly force, against that person.

Two: It removes the “duty to retreat” if you are attacked in any place you have a right to be. You no longer have to turn your back on a criminal and try to run when attacked. Instead, you may stand your ground and fight back, meeting force with force, including deadly force, if you reasonably believe it is necessary to prevent death or great bodily harm to yourself or others. [This is an American right repeatedly recognized in Supreme Court gun cases.]

Three: It provides that persons using force authorized by law shall not be prosecuted for using such force.

It also prohibits criminals and their families from suing victims for injuring or killing the criminals who have attacked them.

In short, it gives rights back to law-abiding people and forces judges and prosecutors who are prone to coddling criminals to instead focus on protecting victims.


85 posted on 07/01/2008 4:06:23 AM PDT by ovrtaxt (This election is like running in the Special Olympics. Even if McCain wins, we're still retarded.)
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To: Shooter 2.5
Not to mention when a projectile travels through the body, the coroner will count two wounds. So yeah, it’s very possible there were gunshot wounds to the back.

If those loads of shot went all the way through, the exit wounds would be particularly gruesome.

86 posted on 07/01/2008 5:23:29 AM PDT by XR7
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To: ovrtaxt

I was unaware that Florida had these laws. I’m glad to hear of it. Good for the citizens of Florida...

Isn’t it strange how one state can get it, and other states like California have a full-time legislature that spends little time on anything other than gun and ammunition control?


87 posted on 07/01/2008 8:30:08 AM PDT by DoughtyOne ( I say no to the Hillary Clinton wing of the Republican party. Not now or ever, John McCain...)
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To: BlazingArizona

I’d say the solution to not getting shot would be to not burglarize someone’s home.

Silly me, sounds too simple, doesn’t it?


88 posted on 07/01/2008 8:34:04 AM PDT by MrB (You can't reason people out of a position that they didn't use reason to get into in the first place)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
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."

Obviously ABC...has forgotten what "tamed" the British.

89 posted on 07/01/2008 8:36:59 AM PDT by Osage Orange (MOLON LABE)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

Unbelievable, the media idiot believe not being forced to retreat first in your own home or defending your own life or property is unprecidented authority.

Idiots.


90 posted on 07/01/2008 8:40:31 AM PDT by HamiltonJay
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To: DoughtyOne
California Assembly is ruled by a bunch of idiot left wingers.
91 posted on 07/01/2008 8:48:43 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (No Burkas for my Grandaughters!)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

It sure is.


92 posted on 07/01/2008 8:55:21 AM PDT by DoughtyOne ( I say no to the Hillary Clinton wing of the Republican party. Not now or ever, John McCain...)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
From the story:

The 911 dispatcher warned Horn to stay inside at least a dozen separate times, telling him, "An officer is coming out there. I don't want you to go outside that house."

Someone needs to give the 911 operators a crash course: you are not police officers and you are NOT in charge when you are on the phone.

93 posted on 07/01/2008 9:07:36 AM PDT by Centurion2000 (Beware the fury of the man that cannot find hope or justice.)
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To: ebiskit

See post #38...


94 posted on 07/01/2008 9:12:55 AM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach (No Burkas for my Grandaughters!)
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To: TheMole
Both sides on the gun issue are flogging this to further their own agendas. Note how they recite all the evidence about HOW Horn decided to go outside with a firearm, and fuzz the details about the actual shooting. That is because the actual shooting would have been okay most everywhere, even in California where I live.

It doesn't matter what a person's motives are if their acts are lawful. Horn acted lawfully when he shot the perps.

95 posted on 07/01/2008 11:16:52 AM PDT by Thud
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

“In the Lone Star state, where the six-gun tamed the frontier, shooting bad guys is a time-honored tradition...”


Could there be anymore subtlety in their amaturish prose here...

“Yeah, let’s turn this into something it is not...”

What a bunch of maroonz!


96 posted on 07/01/2008 3:49:27 PM PDT by stevie_d_64 (Houston Area Texans (I've always been hated))
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Jamie: I wish we had time to bury them fellas.

Photobucket

Josey Wales: To hell with them fellas. Buzzards gotta eat, same as worms.

97 posted on 07/01/2008 4:00:17 PM PDT by Xenophon450 (I guess I'll never know, some things under the sun can never be understood...)
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach
Man Cleared for Killing Neighbor's Burglars - 'Castle Doctrine'
Gives Texans Unprecedented .....


Of course, MSM misses the real message:
If you're an illegal and a thief...get the H-LL out of Texas!
98 posted on 07/01/2008 4:02:52 PM PDT by VOA
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To: Centurion2000
The 911 dispatcher warned Horn to stay inside at least a dozen separate
times, telling him, "An officer is coming out there. I don't want
you to go outside that house."


IIRC, wasn't there a police unit sitting on the street, with an
officer (undercover) observing the robbery and was there at the
time Horn took action?

I may be wrong but I think I heard that when this story was fresh.
(and I thought that maybe the police were p-ssed that they'd been
outdone by some old civilian in "putting a bite on crime".)
99 posted on 07/01/2008 4:12:04 PM PDT by VOA
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To: MaryFromMichigan

“Eric Zorn your neighbor?”

Well, his mindset is.


100 posted on 07/01/2008 4:52:56 PM PDT by ought-six ( Multiculturalism is national suicide, and political correctness is the cyanide capsule.)
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