[stylin_geek]

I agree, getting tossed in jail in defense of ones property does put one in the position of letting thieves have their way. I wonder, what if you take a baseball bat to the thief, and knock him cold? Then, you can spend some time in court, spending money, defending yourself against the lawsuit the thief is liable to bring against you. I might add, what if the thief is much larger than you are, what do you do then?

[Zeroisanumber]

I agree, getting tossed in jail in defense of ones property does put one in the position of letting thieves have their way. I wonder, what if you take a baseball bat to the thief, and knock him cold?

That is acceptable so long as you don't go overboard. I work as a bouncer, and I can tell you from experience that so long as you don't take it too far, cops will work with you to ensure that you aren't charged.

One thing that hasn't been discussed is the threat of violence. Since the man who was arrested had a rifle, why didn't he just threaten the thief with it and hold him until the police arrived?

Then, you can spend some time in court, spending money, defending yourself against the lawsuit the thief is liable to bring against you.

The threat of being sued by someone that you have to beat-up is exaggerated. Few criminals (or ordinary citizens) have the time, money, or knowhow to fight and win a lawsuit. They might file, but the judge would just throw it out at the initial hearing.

I might add, what if the thief is much larger than you are, what do you do then?

That's not something that I really have to consider, but others might. My suggestion is to use tools that match the threat and that big guys usually don't protect their knees as well as they should. Flip him on his back, and he's damn near helpless.