Poor Fences Make Criminal Relatives
I hope everyone is staying nice and warm, safe and happy during this very difficult wintery weather.
I hope all those with outside animals are able to take care of them without too much difficulty and inconvenience.
When I retired and moved with my family to Giles County my desire was to have a little farm and raise some cows, goats, chickens, etc. So we had a little farm out on Carr Hill Road, that was the name before the county changed it to Kerr Hill. Well, we had a number of cows but this one in particular is what I want to tell you about. This cow, and I'm sure some of you have had at least one like her, could be standing in thick grass up to her neck and would jump the fence to get to a patch of broom sage. The thing that was most bothersome was this cow almost always decided to jump that fence on Sunday Morning while we were at church or about to leave for church. Now, we had a full field fence around the property but that did nothing to stop her. So I put a strand of barbed wire several inches about the top of the wire. Things seemed to go well until one Sunday morning when we drove up the driveway returning from church and there she was standing by the back door grazing in the backyard. Well, change clothes and chase her back to the other side of the fence. No sooner did she get back on her side, than she just jumped over the fence and looked straight at me as if to say, "Ha, ha I ain't afraid of no barbed wire". Now the point is, as some of you already know, it's mighty hard to keep a critter where it don't want to be.
The thing I didn't know at that time was that if a person's cow gets out it's not just a matter of the owner being responsible for any damages, but the owner can actually be arrested and serve time in jail if found guilty by a judge or jury. Now, you might be saying who in the world would actually arrest someone and take them to criminal court because their cow got out of their fenced pasture. Well, on Thursday morning next week you can go to the courthouse and watch the trial of an 82 year old man who has been charged with the heinous crime of allowing his cow to "roam free" that's the legal term for "the cow got out".
An Assistant District Attorney, his secretary, a judge, a court reporter, a bailiff, court security, jury and numerous other people outside the courtroom itself, have been involved preparing a case, and now prosecuting the case against this man.
The question is how much money has been spent, how much time has been taken away from real criminal cases, to prosecute this case? Is justice better served by putting an 82 year old man in jail because his cow got out or perhaps by focusing on some real crimes. If a thief of taxpayer money isn't important because it's a small amount then what in the world is behind all this time and expense because a cow got out and did fifty dollars worth of damage to a relatives garden?
I hope all those with outside animals are able to take care of them without too much difficulty and inconvenience.
When I retired and moved with my family to Giles County my desire was to have a little farm and raise some cows, goats, chickens, etc. So we had a little farm out on Carr Hill Road, that was the name before the county changed it to Kerr Hill. Well, we had a number of cows but this one in particular is what I want to tell you about. This cow, and I'm sure some of you have had at least one like her, could be standing in thick grass up to her neck and would jump the fence to get to a patch of broom sage. The thing that was most bothersome was this cow almost always decided to jump that fence on Sunday Morning while we were at church or about to leave for church. Now, we had a full field fence around the property but that did nothing to stop her. So I put a strand of barbed wire several inches about the top of the wire. Things seemed to go well until one Sunday morning when we drove up the driveway returning from church and there she was standing by the back door grazing in the backyard. Well, change clothes and chase her back to the other side of the fence. No sooner did she get back on her side, than she just jumped over the fence and looked straight at me as if to say, "Ha, ha I ain't afraid of no barbed wire". Now the point is, as some of you already know, it's mighty hard to keep a critter where it don't want to be.
The thing I didn't know at that time was that if a person's cow gets out it's not just a matter of the owner being responsible for any damages, but the owner can actually be arrested and serve time in jail if found guilty by a judge or jury. Now, you might be saying who in the world would actually arrest someone and take them to criminal court because their cow got out of their fenced pasture. Well, on Thursday morning next week you can go to the courthouse and watch the trial of an 82 year old man who has been charged with the heinous crime of allowing his cow to "roam free" that's the legal term for "the cow got out".
An Assistant District Attorney, his secretary, a judge, a court reporter, a bailiff, court security, jury and numerous other people outside the courtroom itself, have been involved preparing a case, and now prosecuting the case against this man.
The question is how much money has been spent, how much time has been taken away from real criminal cases, to prosecute this case? Is justice better served by putting an 82 year old man in jail because his cow got out or perhaps by focusing on some real crimes. If a thief of taxpayer money isn't important because it's a small amount then what in the world is behind all this time and expense because a cow got out and did fifty dollars worth of damage to a relatives garden?
posted by Allen Barrett | 7:48 PM
44 Comments:
Does this man belong to the cattleman's association? If he is being prosecuted I bet he does not.
Poor people don't belong to no association they just try to get by.
Poor people are usually poor because they don't make the best choices.
2:27 Are you rich? Sounds lie a snob.
I wouldn't sue an old man if his cow was damaging my property, I would ask him if he wants me to load her up and get him a big fat check at the stockyard. Cows are worth their weight in gold these days. However, if it were a younger person and the problem went on-and-on I would go to greater lengths to stop it. Animals are the responsibility of the owner. Any cow we had that didn't want to stay on our side or gave us trouble getting her to the barn to be worked got sold.
What happen to people. Years ago if a man's cattle got out the neighbor helped get them up and repair the fence. If the fence joined your property is it not also your responsibility to help keep a good fence up.
Of course the cattle owner didnt want his cow to get out but these things are a part of life. Sounds like a selfish SOB that would take the old fella to court over this. Would love to know the name of the person doing the suing.
Yes its a shame of how people can be. What goes around comes around!
Why does family member prove to be the worse people to live near and do business with?
If you call 911 on the weekend about horses or cattle on the highway don't hold your breath. I made 4 calls and the last 3 I was told they had dispatched some one!! no one came!
911 is for EMERGENCIES. Cattle being out does not qualify.
OK 12.39 Is in the road on the 31 at dawn on a bend in the road not emergency next time I will not make the traffic slow down I will use my phone to record the accidents.
Not an emergency sir. No injuries incurred. And you cant anticipate an emergency either. Cattle are not 911's problem.
I wrote 12:29. I did not write 2:29. I do agree with 2:29 however that cattle being in the road is not an emergency.
Turkeys on the School Board is an emergency
Some one needs to tell the cattle owner that he is not able to take care of his animals and help him take them to market. The police don't cite you for a first offense for cattle being out. Going to General Sessions is not being sued. I would fence my garden.
Sure is a lot of know it all free advice on here.
Have you walked in the man's shoes that's cow got out?
Have you walked in the one had his garden damages's shoes?
Its not a case of if the fences are good or in poor condition. If cattle, horses or whatever are determined to get out of the field for whatever reason, they will go through the most solid enclosure even to the point of getting caught in wires. For various reasons its not always an easy decision for the farmer to get rid of the escapee. In the case written about, it would be interesting to know if this was the first time the cow got through the fencing or was this a repeated situation? Did the farmer offer to pay damage to the garden? If so, what's the beef? (Sorry the pun).
I hope someone goes to court Thursday and tells us the out come of this trial.
I feel by Giles Co standards the most logical solution would be to detain the cow and try to rehabilitate her. Charge her with a misdermeaner, lock her up for 11-29 and then probation her for 6 months.
Don't forget it'll be the responsibility of the County to pick her up.
Is the cow called Janet ?
Well that wasn't too nice
According to the Clerk as of 3:55 PM this trial will proceed tomorrow, depending entirely on the weather.
Did the trial go on, if so what did they do?
The trial was delayed until 4 May unless they can work out some sort of deal.
There are two separate charges. One filed with the court on 10 Sept. 2014 and the second was filed on 8 Oct. 2014.
Both charges are against a Mister Chalmus Townsend.
The first charge was brought by a Mister Larry Gully for an incident that took place on or about the 31st day of May 2014 when Mr. Townsend was accused of "unlawfully and willfully allowing livestock, to wit goats, to run at large".
The second charge was brought by a Mister Jarred Hasting who accused Mr. Townsend of, "on or about the 16th day of May 2014". "Did unlawfully allow his livestock to run at large"
Both charges are in violation of T.C.A. Section 44-8-401.
I find it interesting that the alleged violations took place within a week of each other in May but the charges were not lodged with the Grand Jury until August and September a full month apart.
You find a lot of things interesting.
7-40 Dont you find it 'interesting' that a nephew would stoop so low as to persecute an 82 yr old relative instead of helping him to maintain remnants of his dignity?
Surely there is a societal responsibility to care for our older generations rather than to prosecute them ?
Or doesnt that apply in Giles County where 'things have been this way for 200 years ' (to quote a county commissioner ) .Guess all that inbreeding doesnt count always ...
Sounds like the defendant did something in the interim to piss off the plaintiffs. Seems petty whatever the motive.
7:40 just likes to run WAB down. What a pity that's all he knows to do.
911 is for public safety of the people.If the cow got in the road and someone hit it then would it be an emergency.911 has several lines for non emergencies perhaps no one dispatched agency to the call. Dispatchers are public servants it is their job to send someone to every call. To the farmer who had a cow out Im sorry you live beside such cruel neighbors. To the person who said people are poor because of bad choices you are an idiot.
11:55 Love your last sentence. The one said that is probably always correcting others sentence structure or English. When he's not running WAB down.
Anyone who takes this blog seriously is an idiot. You, 11:55 have no idea who I am. Call me what you will. I'm happy!
WOW 4:01 this is the first time I have seen where a person has admitted that they are an idiot. By the fact that you are reading this blog; and, by your reasoning ..... you are an idiot. Thank you for being so honest.
Tee hee!
Tee hee, hee. Once again, your ignorance shines through. Just because one reads this blog does not mean that one takes it seriously.
Why read it? I don't read things I don't like. I find this blog entertaining when you don't like post. Real laughable. You sure sound like the one that thinks he is a Christian Gentleman.
This blog is entertaining watching people like you getting all torn up over nothing. This blog, for the most part, is a bunch of unsubstantiated material written by 95% anonymous folks. You idiots get all torn up over it. I personally know of people who post things just to see the reaction. And this Christian Gentleman and Enabler stuff is funny to watch you sheep get on board with you "God".
Better luck in you next life.
Sorry for the typo. "Your God" and "Your next life".
7:55 The "idiots" do not "get all torn up" over unsubstantiated comments that are posted, but people do get upset about the FACTS that are posted and this blog seems to be the only place they can express their feelings and oft times disgust at what is happening in local governments and carried out by people they elected based on their trust in people they only knew by name, for the most part. Your comment was cynical.
Don't everyone just love CG the enabler. He has acted a little better for a while. Think you may have him going again. Remember the day he said he didn't post the day before and someone posted his post to show him he did.
9:59 you are so right! And you know we are all going to get old and I would hate to think my family would be so cruel!
There is not enough information on this blog to determine if anyone has been cruel, or taken advantage of. On the surface, it is easy to jump to condlusions, but somtimes we need to dig deeper!
I fully agree 1:01 and have always advocated that readers seek out information on their own. I try to offer sufficient information to allow people to know what is happening but can not provide every single detail. I challenge everyone to get more personally involved and treat this blog as you would any other news source, an opportunity to begin your research.
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