AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ A ranching feud, a drought and wandering cattle improperly sold for about $5,000 led to a $1.25 million jury award in Texas.
That was too much, the Texas Supreme Court ruled Friday, even in a state that still looks “unkindly” on thievery in a $15 billion industry that in the old days might have been settled with a rope over a tree limb.
The case stems from a 2000 dispute between neighboring ranchers in San Saba County.
The Supreme Court overturned the $1.25 million verdict, ordering a lower court to recalculate. It also noted that “Texans know better than to steal cattle.”
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