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by tptacek 4046 days ago
You forgot the part where he wanted Curtis Green dead because of a theft of --- not sure why I need to read past this point.
1 comments

Odd that laws allow for killing to prevent a robbery, but taking a life as punishment is unthinkable.

I wonder: If the money had been gained legally then stolen, what steps could the victim legally take to recover it?

What law allows killing to prevent a robbery? I think you're mistaken. Some places allow using lethal force when your own life is threatened. I am not aware of any place in the US where one is justified in killing merely to prevent a robbery.

And if there is, can you show me a law in the US where a citizen can go after a robber long after the robbery is over and then kill them?

I think not.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justifiable_homicide#Examples_o...

Texas was the first thing to come to my mind : http://nation.time.com/2013/06/13/when-you-can-kill-in-texas...

The laws do seem to allow less after the fact, with good reason. My point was that we clearly allow for people to value money over lives.

When is a robbery over? The stuff never stops being yours, and they never stop running away with it.

A lot of things come into play here, but I'm pretty sure you could still post a reward, 'dead or alive'. I think it's legal to try to catch the robber yourself indefinitely, and defend yourself if threatened in the process.

Our wild west laws are only slightly less savage than what was alleged in this case.

> Texas was the first thing to come to my mind

From your source " the protection-of-property element of the deadly force law is “pretty unique to Texas.” ".

If this type of law is pretty unique to Texas, let's look at the Texas law, instead of necessarily simplistic summaries.

Here [1] is the actual Texas state law. The relevant section is 9.42. The law states that deadly force may only be used in the case you claim if the person meets (among other conditions) that "the use of force other than deadly force to protect or recover the land or property would expose the actor or another to a substantial risk of death or serious bodily injury.". Section 9.42B.

So no, you're not just free to shoot people for robbery, willy nilly. There are several steps that, even in Texas, need to be met.

>When is a robbery over? The stuff never stops being yours, and they never stop running away with it.

and

>I think it's legal to try to catch the robber yourself indefinitely, and defend yourself if threatened in the process.

is just nonsense. Even Texas requires that a person be defending their property or (Section 9.41b) "if the actor uses the force immediately or in fresh pursuit after the dispossession and:" with some more constraints after that. You cannot just chase them months later and do anything.

So, "laws don't allow killing for robbery," unless there are quite a bit of other circumstances, and very few places allow it for any circumstance except when there is presumed lethal threat to the defender.

And absolutely certainly the laws do not allow Ulbrecht to hire someone to kill another no matter what the circumstances.

Please cite law statute or legal cases with links. Poorly researched news stories and opinions are much less useful.

[1] http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/SOTWDocs/PE/htm/PE.9.h...

>I think it's legal to try to catch the robber yourself indefinitely

The point was the motivation of protecting money. Under the Texas law, the defender doesn't need to be defending life, only seeking to recover property. Most of what you've said isn't a counterargument to what I said. Willy nilly was never a claim.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_doctrine#State-by-state_...

Louisiana appears to allow lethal force just to prevent unlawful entry into a dwelling, place of business, or motor vehicle.

You're also looking at one law about one situation to dispute what I conjectured about a different situation. Is it not legal to chase down the thief yourself? If you are threatened in the process, is it not then legal to defend yourself? Are 'dead or alive' bounties not legal? The effect may well be the same.

>Are 'dead or alive' bounties not legal?

Are you claiming they are? Note I simply asked:

> Please cite law statute or legal cases with links. Poorly researched news stories and opinions are much less useful.

Nothing you've posted allows Ulbricht to hire someone to kill Green, no matter how Ulbricht obtained the money to begins with. Until you cite a law by statute you think allows this, we're done.