--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm often asked why there is such a great…" description: "\"“I'm often asked why there is such a great variation among sentences imposed by Texas judges. I can only quote the Texas judge who was asked why a kill..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b8/percy-foreman-85161_cattle_i-m-often-asked-why-there-is-such-a-grea_1568585.png" --- # I'm often asked why there is such a great variation among… ![“I'm often asked why there is such a great variation among sentences imposed by Texas judges. I can only quote the Texas judge who was asked why a killer sometimes doesn't even get indicted and a cattle thief can get ten years. The judge answered: "A lot of fellows ought to be shot, but we don't…” quote by Percy Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b8/percy-foreman-85161_cattle_i-m-often-asked-why-there-is-such-a-grea_1568585.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b8/percy-foreman-85161_cattle_i-m-often-asked-why-there-is-such-a-grea_1568585.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6b8/percy-foreman-85161_cattle_i-m-often-asked-why-there-is-such-a-grea_1568585.png) > ““I'm often asked why there is such a great variation among sentences imposed by Texas judges. I can only quote the Texas judge who was asked why a killer sometimes doesn't even get indicted and a cattle thief can get ten years. The judge answered: "A lot of fellows ought to be shot, but we don't have any cows that need stealing.”” [Percy Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-foreman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Texas judges often impose wildly different sentences, highlighting inconsistency and the absurdity of some legal outcomes. **In simple terms:** Judges give uneven punishments. Key Takeaway Advocate for fair sentencing. Themes law justice inconsistency Mood critical analytical Type legal inspirational When to use this quote - legal reform meetings - law school debates - media commentary Key Concepts criminal justice disparities judicial discretion Questions to Reflect On - How can sentencing equity be improved? - What factors cause judicial disparity? A Different Perspective Legal reforms face political and systemic resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cattle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cattle/) [Cows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cows/) [Indicted Cattle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/indicted-cattle-5900314/) [Judge Asked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judge-asked-1038875/) [Judges Quote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judges-quote-5900315/) [Judging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/judging/) [Killers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killers/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [Sentences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sentences/) [Shots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shots/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Ten years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ten-years/) [Texas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/texas/) [Texas Judge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/texas-judge-5900313/) [Texas Judges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/texas-judges-5900316/) [Thieves](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thieves/) [Variation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/variation/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [“A MAN AND HIS YOUNG WIFE WERE IN COURT BATTLING FOR THE CUSTODY OF THEIR CHILDREN. THE MOTHER ARGUED TO THE JUDGE THAT SINCE…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-a-barondess/a-man-and-his-young-wife-were-in-court-battling-for-the-custody-of/) [Mark A. Barondess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-a-barondess/) > [“The prosecutor nodded to the usher, who opened the door at the back of the room. There was a scraping of chairs outside, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jo-nesb/the-prosecutor-nodded-to-the-usher-who-opened-the-door-at-the-back-of/) [Jo Nesbø](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jo-nesb/) > [I was married by a judge. I should have asked for a jury.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/groucho-marx/i-was-married-by-a-judge-i-should-have-asked-for-a-jury/) [Groucho Marx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/groucho-marx/) > [“When the scientific experts finished giving their testimony, the presiding judge asked Van Meegeren if he had any comments...He then added dryly that, from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-lopez/when-the-scientific-experts-finished-giving-their-testimony-the/) [Jonathan Lopez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-lopez/) > [A prominent judge was asked what we, as citizens of the countries of the world, could do to reduce crime and disobedience to law…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-s-monson/a-prominent-judge-was-asked-what-we-as-citizens-of-the-countries-of/) [Thomas S. Monson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-s-monson/) > [“The judge asked the question on everyone’s mind: What possibly could have occupied his time—2½ years of absence from work? What was he doing?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-suit-who-spooked-the-epa/the-judge-asked-the-question-on-everyone-s-mind-what-possibly-could/) [The Suit Who Spooked the EPA](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-suit-who-spooked-the-epa/) > [Why do we not care to acknowledge them? The cattle, the body count. We still don't like to admit the war was even partly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/why-do-we-not-care-to-acknowledge-them-the-cattle-the-body-count-we/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [Hitchcock said he viewed actors as cattle.. but some were free range.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-crier/hitchcock-said-he-viewed-actors-as-cattle-but-some-were-free-range/) [Catherine Crier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-crier/) > [The thing that bothers me the most is the recklessness and greed of the local ranchers, who run too many cattle back here, choking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-haggard/the-thing-that-bothers-me-the-most-is-the-recklessness-and-greed-of/) [Merle Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-haggard/) > [It were good to know how much hay an acre of every sort will bear; how many cattle the same weight of each sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-petty/it-were-good-to-know-how-much-hay-an-acre-of-every-sort-will-bear-how/) [William Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-petty/) > [My father was trained as a saddler, but in fact as a young man worked in his father's business of rearing and selling cattle,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-klug/my-father-was-trained-as-a-saddler-but-in-fact-as-a-young-man-worked/) [Aaron Klug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-klug/) > [But remember that the Captain belongs to the most dangerous enemy to truth and freedom, the solid unmoving cattle of the majority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/but-remember-that-the-captain-belongs-to-the-most-dangerous-enemy-to/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Work is the province of cattle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/work-is-the-province-of-cattle/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [There's little in taking or giving, There's little in water or wine: This living, this living, this living, Was never a project of mine.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/there-s-little-in-taking-or-giving-there-s-little-in-water-or-wine/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) ## More by Percy Foreman > [I don't pretend to be the greatest lawyer who ever lived or even the greatest lawyer today...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-foreman/i-don-t-pretend-to-be-the-greatest-lawyer-who-ever-lived-or-even-the/) [Percy Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-foreman/) > [You don't approach a case with the philosophy of applying abstract justice-you go in to win](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/percy-foreman/you-don-t-approach-a-case-with-the-philosophy-of-applying-abstract/) [Percy Foreman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-foreman/) [Explore all 3 Percy Foreman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/percy-foreman/) ## More Cattle quotes > [A man walks down the street. It's a street in a strange world. Maybe it's the third world. Maybe it's his first time around.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-simon/a-man-walks-down-the-street-it-s-a-street-in-a-strange-world-maybe-it/) [Paul Simon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-simon/) > [There's little in taking or giving, There's little in water or wine: This living, this living, this living, Was never a project of mine.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorothy-parker/there-s-little-in-taking-or-giving-there-s-little-in-water-or-wine/) [Dorothy Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorothy-parker/) > [Work is the province of cattle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/work-is-the-province-of-cattle/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [But remember that the Captain belongs to the most dangerous enemy to truth and freedom, the solid unmoving cattle of the majority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/but-remember-that-the-captain-belongs-to-the-most-dangerous-enemy-to/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [My father was trained as a saddler, but in fact as a young man worked in his father's business of rearing and selling cattle,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-klug/my-father-was-trained-as-a-saddler-but-in-fact-as-a-young-man-worked/) [Aaron Klug](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-klug/) > [It were good to know how much hay an acre of every sort will bear; how many cattle the same weight of each sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-petty/it-were-good-to-know-how-much-hay-an-acre-of-every-sort-will-bear-how/) [William Petty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-petty/) > [The thing that bothers me the most is the recklessness and greed of the local ranchers, who run too many cattle back here, choking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-haggard/the-thing-that-bothers-me-the-most-is-the-recklessness-and-greed-of/) [Merle Haggard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-haggard/) > [Hitchcock said he viewed actors as cattle.. but some were free range.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-crier/hitchcock-said-he-viewed-actors-as-cattle-but-some-were-free-range/) [Catherine Crier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-crier/) > [Why do we not care to acknowledge them? The cattle, the body count. We still don't like to admit the war was even partly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-bennett/why-do-we-not-care-to-acknowledge-them-the-cattle-the-body-count-we/) [Alan Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-bennett/) > [Buy our album, were Nirvana, a garage band from Seattle. Well, it sure beats raising cattle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/buy-our-album-were-nirvana-a-garage-band-from-seattle-well-it-sure/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Come to earth to taste our sadness, He whose glories knew no end. By His life He brings us gladness, our Redeemer, Shepherd, Friend.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-wesley/come-to-earth-to-taste-our-sadness-he-whose-glories-knew-no-end-by/) [Charles Wesley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-wesley/) > [When I was born, they didn't work. They're broken, the nerves in my lower left lip. When I was kid, I would talk out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milo-ventimiglia/when-i-was-born-they-didn-t-work-they-re-broken-the-nerves-in-my/) [Milo Ventimiglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milo-ventimiglia/) > [I was not created to be occupied by eating delicious foods like tied up cattle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ali-ibn-abi-talib/i-was-not-created-to-be-occupied-by-eating-delicious-foods-like-tied/) [Ali ibn Abi Talib](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ali-ibn-abi-talib/) > [Farm country -- you know, hay, horses, cattle. It's the ideal situation for me. I like the physical endeavors that go with the farm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-shepard/farm-country-you-know-hay-horses-cattle-it-s-the-ideal-situation-for/) [Sam Shepard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-shepard/) > [I grew up in southeastern Oklahoma on a working cattle ranch, and it was always very romantic to me: The West, the cowboy, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reba-mcentire/i-grew-up-in-southeastern-oklahoma-on-a-working-cattle-ranch-and-it/) [Reba McEntire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reba-mcentire/) [Browse all 314 Cattle quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cattle/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“I'm often asked why there is such a great variation among sentences imposed by Texas judges. I can only quote the Texas judge who was asked why a killer sometimes doesn't even get indicted and a cattle thief can get ten years. 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