CATTLE AT LARGE TICKET-COSTS MORE THAN THE COW

[KATHYWEEKS]

Anyone ever got ticketed for cattle getting out. Had one cow and her calf get out last night, ended up on the road and the cop gave me a $326 ticket for livestock at large X 2. I could have gone 90 mph in a 70 mph zone and only pd $145. What's up with this?
GEEEZZZE Give me a break....
Lesson learned on keeping up thoses fences!

 

[cowspider]

Sorry to hear that.

 

[S.R.R.]

If it is your first offence fight it!

 

[KATHYWEEKS]

Yes this is my first offense...do you think I couldget them to drop it? I was at least thinking about the calf. The charge was x 2 (that doubled the cost) I was hoping they'd at least make it only for the cow. Maybe I'll give it a shot-

 

[Dusty Britches]

I could have gone 90 mph in a 70 mph zone and only pd $145.

You speak from experience??????

 

[KATHYWEEKS]

oh no....just reading off the back of the ticket. I like my money in my pocket...not theirs!

 

[Bullbuyer]

I'd tell the judge that the money would be better spent on improving the fence - right judge will see the logic and probably let you go - especially first offense. What's up with the officer anyway - seems like every year there's an incident where a cow ends up in some residential setting and I've never heard of anyone getting ticketed?!?!

 

[KATHYWEEKS]

Just had his panties in a bunch I guess...

 

[Grippie]

Anyone ever got ticketed for cattle getting out. Had one cow and her calf get out last night, ended up on the road and the cop gave me a $326 ticket for livestock at large X 2. I could have gone 90 mph in a 70 mph zone and only pd $145. What's up with this?
GEEEZZZE Give me a break....
Lesson learned on keeping up thoses fences!

Unbelievable! Whats this country coming to? Nerver heard of such a thing. I'm surprised NY hasnt gotten ahold of that one yet. :roll:

 

[rkm]

If you fight it, and I would, take proof that you fixed the fence. Don't just patch the hole, show where you improved the fence. Better to put the money in the fence than in some local yocal's pocket. But then you might end up doing both! :x :x

 

[dun]

I find it interesting that they even have an offense of livestock at large

dun

 

[rkm]

I wonder were they considered ARMED AND DANGEROUS?

 

[milesvb]

Anyone ever got ticketed for cattle getting out. Had one cow and her calf get out last night, ended up on the road and the cop gave me a $326 ticket for livestock at large X 2. I could have gone 90 mph in a 70 mph zone and only pd $145. What's up with this?
GEEEZZZE Give me a break....
Lesson learned on keeping up thoses fences!

Was this a state trooper or a county mountie?

If it was a trooper and he was young (fresh and gungho) then it doesn't surprise me at all. From what I've been hearing (not experiencing personally, BTW) many of the new batch we have around here are pretty much going nuts issuing citations for everything they can find. It has bred ALOT of resentment against DPS locally.

 

[KATHYWEEKS]

It was a city officer-guess it was just my lucky day

 

[Dusty Britches]

I find it interesting that they even have an offense of livestock at large dun

I think the way Texas law works is if someone were to hit the cow and was killed there is now a law that you can be charged. I have never heard of someone being charged for a first offense, esp. if the cattle did not damage anything.

Kinda like there was a guy in a small community 10 miles from the city limit who had 6 pit bull - rottie crosses. They were running loose and suddenly, they turned on the elderly neighbor lady and killed her. The dogs had never shown any aggression before. There is no state wide leash law and the county did not have regulations for the incident, so the only thing they could charge him with was failing to keep up with rabies vaccinations. None of the dogs were rabid. That happened last year. They are now going to try to prosecute him for criminally negligent homicide, but they don't think it will work.

 

[Joy in Texas]

Not sure if this will help...here in our county we have an open range law still on the books. This is only good on farm and market or dirts roads.On state highways they will ticket you. We had one cow that kept getting out no matter what we did. The sheriffs office would call and I'd go put her back in. That went on for awhile,then I sold her.But we never got a ticket

I do know a few years ago when my brother and his wife came home around 2:30 am. they hit a horse. Not 500 yds.from their house. He was going to sue the owner, well the owner was going to sue back, Thats when we found out about that law. The horse had a right to be out, so they say.
The county over from us is tuff. They hauled this guys horses in for them being out. He didn't get them back because he could not prove they were vaccinated against coggins.
Best of luck to ya

 

[AngusLimoX]

Tough luck, but better than being sued if they had caused an accident. You could lose everything you own.

You maybe shoulda got a warning, but then again you can't call back an accident.

Good advice was given to get the fence fixed before you go to court. I am going to wager your fines will be at least halved in court, maybe even dropped if you take the right measures to see it doesn't happen again.

Good Luck.

 

[Alice]

It was a city officer-guess it was just my lucky day

If it was a city officer, does that mean this took place within the city limits? If it did, then there may be an ordinance or some such on the books. If it didn't take place within the city limits, I'd sure want to know what a city cop was doing ticketing someone outside the city limits for this kind of thing.

About 10 years ago, I was leaving for work (I lived outside city limits in the country but on a state hwy. When I got to the end of the drive I was greeted by a dead horse lying right in the middle of the drive...twas a bit unnerving.

Turned out someone had hit the horse right in front of my drive (the horse had gotten out from someone's pasture)...the people were hurt pretty badly. Sheriff's dept. tried to find out who the owner of the horse was...nobody would fess up.

Alice

 

[mystery74]

Anyone ever got ticketed for cattle getting out. Had one cow and her calf get out last night, ended up on the road and the cop gave me a $326 ticket for livestock at large X 2. I could have gone 90 mph in a 70 mph zone and only pd $145. What's up with this?
GEEEZZZE Give me a break....
Lesson learned on keeping up thoses fences!

Our cows got out about 2 months ago, and decided to go exploring, somehow this gate magically opened by itself, we think someone let them out, luckily they were tame #1500 lb. steers just fresh home from the fair so we tied them to the back of a pick up and home they walked! but the nerve of you actually getting ticketed , around here most people would lend a hand getting them back to the farm they came from, sometimes accidents happen, explain that to the judge I am sure he would understand, maybe even take a picture of the repaired fence and let him know that it is fixed, good luck to you

 

[TxSimbrahShower]

If it was a city cop and in the city limits, there must be some kind ordinance, maybe the cop was using the law that mainly would be used for the dogs, maybe it is worded animals at large.

I know though that I would much rather be notified and given a ticket than having to live with one of our cows being out causing a wreck and someone getting killed.

Don't know what color you cow is, but, black cows are really hard to see at night unless they are looking at you.

No offense, but, remember everybody, there is two sides to every story.

mom