King of My Castle Doctrine

Texas' Castle Doctrine law came on the books three day before a shooting inside a musicians home resulted in another dead musician and many anguished fans:

Dallas police Sgt. Larry Lewis says his department isn't pursuing charges against the neighbor who shot Albrecht due in large part to the new "castle doctrine" law that allows a person to protect their property with deadly force.

Coincidentally, the neighbor involved in the shooting is also a musician. Logg, 54, is a blues guitarist who goes by the nickname "Smokey" and has recorded multiple albums.

Albrecht had been a keyboard player for Edie Brickell & New Bohemians since 1999 and had played several times with Brickell's husband, Paul Simon.

Imagine being the person on the inside of the house, shouting unheeded warnings, as a huge, raving man is trying to kick your door in. The people call 911. They screamed warnings. A warning shot was sent high through the door. Should he be tried for murder?

Under the Castle Doctrine, a person doesn't have to attempt to retreat, he can defend himself. So a grand jury will look at it. It seems they can only find the obvious: he defended himself.

There is a difference between defense and vigilantism. Jodi Foster's movie deals with this subject, but she believes guns are bad, bad, bad. I just don't believe her. If a huge, drug-crazed man was coming through her door, would she defend herself and her children? She'd be immoral if she didn't.

An important aside about the medication the dead man was on:

The story that emerged later was much more complicated. This was no raging lunatic — his girlfriend said he had never came close to such behavior. Indeed, he is invariably described as “even-tempered and sometimes shy,” and that never changed with alcohol in the mix, friends said.

Earlier that night, he had about five drinks, according to his best friend. That would’ve rated as a normal night, except that he was also taking an anti-smoking drug called Chantix for about a week. Mr. Albrecht and his girlfriend, who was also on the drug, previously mentioned “crazy, insane, almost horrific dreams” while on the drug. More from Danny Balis, the friend:

Was it a combination of sleep deprivation, booze, and the stop-smoking pills that sent him off? It’s the only explanation i can even think of. What was described to me sounded like a walking black out. In my years of knowing him, and all the girls he dated, I have never once heard of him getting abusive or physical with them. It was not his character. Especially with the woman that I know for a fact he loved dearly.

“I really believe it was the drug,” Ryann Rathbone, his girlfriend, told The Dallas Morning News.

If this is the case, it is doubly a tragedy.

Thanks to KAL for the tip.