These days, with the charges for cattle rustling in Texas amounting to little more than slaps on the wrist, it is great to see that Arizona considers the crime to be felonies. I have always felt that the crime here merited more than what the rustlers got, mostly because the people committing the thefts are stealing a person's business, not their pets. Even a backyard cattle raiser is hoping to raise a calf to sell or show, and that calf cost hundreds of dollars in purchase price and upkeep.
In the Arizona case, the rustler stole cattle worth more than $4000 but less than $25000. Imagine having that much money stolen out of a person's home--that would be a bit more than the TV and stereo, but in Texas, the burgler would get more jail time than the rustler. If someone broke into a store overnight when no one was there and stole that much in merchandise, again, they would face more jail time than the rustler. Pathetic.
(Please note, I am not upset that a robber who holds up a store when people are present is subject to more jail time. Just the unequal treatment of cattle rustlers to people who break into unoccupied structures.)
