TexasCHLforum.com

All,

I need to respectfully ask the forum for the name of a good attorney in Austin that handles civil lawsuits and is appreciative of CHL holders.

No, I haven't been involved in any that required the use of my weapon, but a recent situation has escalated to a point that I need to retain a good attorney.

I know everyone loves a story, so I'll just give information that is available in police reports:

I live in a very dense neighborhood in NW Austin. After several years of trying to keep stray (or what I thought were stray) cats out of my yard, I've taken the advice of Austin 311 and the Town Lake Animal Shelter and started humanely trapping cats on my property and turning them over to the shelter. In doing so, I filled out the forms they have at the shelter in which they ask for name/address/phone. Well, an individual whose pet I turned into the shelter wasn't pleased and was able to acquire my information as part of the Open Records Act. Rest assured that I've stopped giving my personal info when turning cats in.

This person has now taken it upon herself to openly harass me and my family in the neighborhood and as of today been charged with criminal trespass and harassment by Austin Police. I will not comment on how my CHL has become involved in this. The police have assured me that I have done nothing criminally wrong, but they warned that I could be looking at a very large headache in the future.

However, even though I have never harbored thoughts of malice towards my neighbors and have been overly protective of animals that I take to shelters, she is threatening civil action. Regardless of whether she has a case, she can still try to sue me. In which case I need to have a defense prepared.

So, if anyone knows of a good Austin lawyer that isn't a bleeding heart liberal and truly respects the current laws in Texas, please let me know.

Thanks in advance.

Sincerely,
AJ

I hope you find a good attorney in Austin to help you file a restraining order against your stalker.

Best of luck!

Good luck with your case.

I will offer just a bit of side advice: you need to re-think your understanding of cats. Keeping cats out of your yard is like keeping wind out of your trees. It's not going to happen, and neither the laws of man nor your personal dislike of cats in your yard is going to change the facts of Nature.

The famous Hemingway cats were the subject of a long legal battle, where USDA claimed the free-roaming cats were an "animal exhibit" requiring a license and cages. Meanwhile a neighbor sued, claiming (IIRC) the cats endangered birds. If a fence or enclosure had been erected that could keep the cats within the walls, the private museum would lose its protected historical status. Finally, a federal judge ruled that cats are cats, and told the museum and USDA to "work it out".

Kevin

KBCraig wrote: Keeping cats out of your yard is like keeping wind out of your trees. Kevin

The cats are gonna go where the cats are gonna go. They are not real good ad following instructions. Trap, neuter and release is the best option for feral cats. Keeps the population in check and the cats end up having better lives, too.Its a win-win.

bdickens wrote:

KBCraig wrote: Keeping cats out of your yard is like keeping wind out of your trees. Kevin

The cats are gonna go where the cats are gonna go. They are not real good ad following instructions. Trap, neuter and release is the best option for feral cats. Keeps the population in check and the cats end up having better lives, too.Its a win-win.

The best solution is a pellet rifle or a .22. People need to keep their property on their property. What is so difficult to understand?

Anygunanywhere

anygunanywhere wrote:

bdickens wrote:

KBCraig wrote: Keeping cats out of your yard is like keeping wind out of your trees. Kevin

The cats are gonna go where the cats are gonna go. They are not real good ad following instructions. Trap, neuter and release is the best option for feral cats. Keeps the population in check and the cats end up having better lives, too.Its a win-win.

The best solution is a pellet rifle or a .22. People need to keep their property on their property. What is so difficult to understand?

Anygunanywhere

What's so hard for you to understand? God help you if you ever shoot one of my cats!

Feral cats will roam and need to be controlled. People's pets are another thing altogether. If you own a cat you are responsible for its actions. Dogs will be dogs, but I'd bet if my dog went into a cat owner's yard and ate a cat they'd get plenty upset. How is it any different?

bdickens wrote: What's so hard for you to understand? God help you if you ever shoot one of my cats!

I actually edited this after thinking about it. Thread hi-jack. Bad habit of mine. Almost as bad as some other person's cat in my yard.

Angun

Anygun,
this needs to get back to the original question of OP about a lawyer & not the cats.
Thank you folks.

Might be a fine time to move from libby hippy land?

It's a fine balance between living in a fun town and living with all the libs in this town. They're downright venomous sometimes...

I've contacted an attorney today and he had a good laugh at the whole situation. Directed at her, not me...

He calmed me down quite a bit and told me that I already have plenty of ammo (no pun intended) on my side. Two visits by cops and now a Criminal Trespass Warrant. He said if anything she's got ever makes it to court, he'd be very surprised. He did say that he would gladly take the case. Then again, what lawyer wouldn't take a case that would be an easy win?

Thanks for listening everyone.

BTW - City of Austin does have an ordinance on the books that states:

§ 3-2-1 RUNNING AT LARGE PROHIBITED.

Except as specifically provided in this title, an owner or handler may not allow livestock, fowl, a dog, or other domestic or dangerous animal or reptile to run at large.

Source: 1992 Code Sections 3-1-3(G), 3-2-2, 3-2-25, and 3-3-2; Ord. 031009-9; Ord. 031211-11.

as well as

§ 3-4-6 DEFECATION BY A DOG OR CAT.

An owner or handler shall promptly remove and sanitarily dispose of feces left on public or private property by a dog or cat being handled by the person, other than property owned by the owner or handler of the dog or cat.

Source: 1992 Code Section 3-3-7; Ord. 031009-9; Ord. 031211-11.

[quote="anygunanywhere"The best solution is a pellet rifle or a .22. People need to keep their property on their property. What is so difficult to understand?
Anygunanywhere[/quote]

I hope that if you have a dog, that it never gets loose and infringes on somebody's property.

flb_78 wrote:

anygunanywhere wrote:The best solution is a pellet rifle or a .22. People need to keep their property on their property. What is so difficult to understand?
Anygunanywhere

I hope that if you have a dog, that it never gets loose and infringes on somebody's property.

Wow! I hope your animals don't get loose too. Especially if anygun is your neighbor.

If you are in NW Austin, I'd be more worried about the coyotes than the cats.

anygunanywhere wrote:
The best solution is a pellet rifle or a .22. People need to keep their property on their property. What is so difficult to understand?

Anygunanywhere

Which is why my cats aren't allowed outside.

A guy I work with walks his cat on a leash. He said one morning he was out walking his cat and a neighbor came outside in a robe holding a cup of coffee to get the paper. He saw my friend walking his cat, shook his head, and said "Now I've seen everything."