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srothstein wrote: ↑Fri May 01, 2020 10:38 am If you want to have fun with the police, remember that the fish are privately owned. Taking them without permission is theft. You have to put a value on each fish, base on the costs of buying and raising them. The local police should be more interested when you tell them you want to charge them with theft. A lot of cops think (incorrectly IMO) that criminal trespass is a "victimless" crime or civil matter (basically they left when I told them too so they are not real criminals). But when you point out that they are stealing the fish, the cops can write citations if it is under $50 or book for over that. And three convictions for theft makes it a felony.

Venus Pax wrote: ↑Fri May 01, 2020 1:22 pm

srothstein wrote: ↑Fri May 01, 2020 10:38 am If you want to have fun with the police, remember that the fish are privately owned. Taking them without permission is theft. You have to put a value on each fish, base on the costs of buying and raising them. The local police should be more interested when you tell them you want to charge them with theft. A lot of cops think (incorrectly IMO) that criminal trespass is a "victimless" crime or civil matter (basically they left when I told them too so they are not real criminals). But when you point out that they are stealing the fish, the cops can write citations if it is under $50 or book for over that. And three convictions for theft makes it a felony.

That never occurred to me. Thanks. I’ll bring that up with my neighbors.
I’m wondering if we do that a few times, if word gets around.

srothstein wrote: ↑Fri May 01, 2020 10:38 am I meant to add in one other oddity in our law. If you catch them with the fish, you have the legal authority to arrest them yourself. Article 18.16 says that any person may take a suspect and the stolen property to a magistrate or to a peace officer for him to take to the magistrate. The key is that you can only detain or arrest them IF they are in possession of the stolen property. Again, I am thinking that using this might help you get the attention you want from the local police. Be very careful about arresting anyone who does not cooperate. Calling the police and saying you have a person in custody for theft is bound to get some action from them.

A man was stopped by a game-warden with two buckets of fish leaving a lake well known for its fishing.

The game warden asked the man, “Do you have a license to catch those fish?”

The man replied to the game warden, “No, sir. These are my pet fish.”

“Pet fish?!” the warden replied.

“Yes, sir. Every night I take these here fish down to the lake and let them swim around for a while. I whistle and they jump back into their buckets, and I take em home.”

“That’s a bunch of crap! Fish can’t do that!” replied the warden in disbelief.

The man looked at the game warden for a moment and then said, “Here, I’ll show you. It really works.”

“O.K. I’ve GOT to see this!” The game warden was curious.

The man poured the fish into the lake and stood and waited…

After several minutes, the game warden turned to the man and said, “Well?”

“Well, what?” the man responded.

“When are you going to call them back?” the game warden prompted.

“Call who back?” the man asked.

“The FISH,” the warden said sternly.

“What fish?” the man asked.

Venus Pax wrote: ↑Thu Apr 30, 2020 9:36 pm I've started a Facebook neighborhood group for neighbors to better communicate. Many are in the age 70+ category (some are in the 80s and 90s), and not all of them are comfortable with technology.

CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE

TITLE 1. CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE

CHAPTER 18. SEARCH WARRANTS

Art. 18.16. PREVENTING CONSEQUENCES OF THEFT. Any person has a right to prevent the consequences of theft by seizing any personal property that has been stolen and bringing it, with the person suspected of committing the theft, if that person can be taken, before a magistrate for examination, or delivering the property and the person suspected of committing the theft to a peace officer for that purpose. To justify a seizure under this article, there must be reasonable ground to believe the property is stolen, and the seizure must be openly made and the proceedings had without delay.

TreyHouston wrote: ↑Fri May 01, 2020 8:16 am If you make it a gated community, the roads, street lights and sewer system now has to be maintained by the community. No more county funds for maintenance.

howdy wrote: ↑Fri May 01, 2020 7:38 pm I own some property (about 100 acres) in Burleson County that has a small lake on it. The lake is completely surrounded by the land and the land is fenced. I have stocked the lake and maintain the weeds. The local teenagers think it is ok to crawl through the fence and go fishing there. I have cameras that show them on the property. Sometimes they are armed. I don't go up there very often so the chances of meeting up with them is slim but I have come face to face with them once as they were walking out. It was a very tense few seconds and I informed them I will call the game warden and give him their pictures. They didn't seen phased at all by my demands. Arrogant cusses.