The system works: Jury refuses to indict Texan for shooting 2 burglars who robbed his neighbor

Don't mess with Texas


Man Cleared for Killing Neighbor's Burglars
'Castle Doctrine' Gives Texans Unprecedented Authority to Take Action Against Intruders
By CHRIS BURY and HOWARD L. ROSENBERG
June 30, 2008

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.
"I've got a shotgun; you want me to stop him?" Horn asked the dispatcher. "Nope. Don't do that," the dispatcher replied. "Ain't no property worth shooting somebody over, OK?"

Horn was clearly upset by the dispatcher's response.

"I'm not gonna let them get away with it," he said. "I can't take a chance getting killed over this, OK." Despite the dispatcher's protects, Horn said, "I'm gonna shoot! I'm gonna shoot!"

Horn fatally shot the burglars, two illegal immigrants from Colombia named Diego Ortiz and Miguel de Jesus. Stephanie Storey, De Jesus' fiancée, wanted to see Joe Horn prosecuted.

"This man took the law into his own hands," she said. "He shot two individuals in the back after having been told over and over to stay inside. It was his choice to go outside and his choice to take two lives."

http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/Story?id=5278638&page=1

Maybe Miguel should have stayed in Colombia

Yeah, quite the hero. Shoots two guys in the back as they're running away.

Fucking coward. No wonder he's a hero to you, Stock.

Shooting people in the back: A great American tradition.

Oh, and I flagged the story, as it is clearly yet another Stockula attempt at getting people to say something that could be considered an attack.

At least these assholes won't be able to burgle anybody else now. They had long criminal records for this sort of thing.

And you think that means they should have a summary execution without trial? Because that's what this amounts to.

Had they not burgled the house, they'd still be alive. Simple as that. He caught them in the act, it's not like he went on a witch hunt after the fact.

Did anyone else feel the article in abcnews made Texans sound and look stupid? I grew up in Texas and no one in my family walked around with a gun a saying things like "ain't" and considered "shooting bad guys" to be a " time-honored tradition"

That's a really stupid use of the flagging system. We're not deleting a story just because you think someone might say something stupid about it.

They didn't attack him, they didn't come close to him, and they were running away. He should have taken their descriptions, and given them to the police.

Vigilante justice is a crime for a reason.

You can't be serious. This story has been all over the news today. Are you going to complain to ABC for reporting it as well?

I apologize to the moderators for my misuse.

I'm just taking stock (no pun intended) of the sociopaths, here. I doubt, also, that some people would be championing this barbaric shit had the two murdered persons had been white, or youths, or both.

There's some psychotic thinking going on in places that belong to the so-called bible belt.

They should have indicted him. It wasn't his own home. He was fucking trigger happy.

Read above.

And if this asshole had not fucking shot them, they'd still be alive. Nobody's stupid bullshit kitsch is worth killing someone over. Shooting people in the back-he's a coward.

Although I'm wary of feeding one of the more annoying trolls to come around: Source?

Secondly, is death a fitting punishment for burglary?

Wasn't his home. He wasn't in danger. He told the 911 operator that he was, "going to kill them."

What. The. Fucking. Fuck?!

I wish I could find the thread about the black homeowner who shot the white kids who came to his house to beat up his son.

Guess how that one turned out?

Wasn't it Jesus who said "Blessed be the stuff that you (or your neighbor) own"?

Thanks for bolding "illegal immigrants" in the article, Stock. Totally relevant and not creepy at all.

White people getting away with the premeditated murder of brown people. The system works.

"My property is more important than your life. You touch my stuff, I kill you."

I also find the 'illegal immigrant' hysteria to be so maddening.


Dear Bible Belt: Know your fucking bible! Sodom and Gomorra wasn't destroyed for debauchery; it was destroyed for it's unwelcoming attitude towards strangers.

I guess we should keep in mind that this is Texas. The place famous for executing whoever they like, as long as they aren't one of the good ole boys, apparently.