The Houston Herald wrote earlier this year about Marge, a barroom waitress, who was arrested and charged with manslaughter in the shooting death of a young mugger. That incident occurred on a Thursday night.

Marge spent the weekend in jail. Monday morning she appeared before Judge Rainwater (not his real name) for an arraignment hearing.

During questioning by the district attorney Marge made the following statement in court and under oath: "I was standing at the bus stop for about 15 minutes after I got off work. I’m a waitress at Sonny’s Cafe. It was late at night and there was nobody else at the bus stop.

"I had my right hand on my gun, which was in my purse hanging on my shoulder. All of a sudden, somebody spun me around and grabbed my purse off my shoulder. When I caught my balance my right hand was still gripped around my gun. The guy was running away with my purse!

"I yelled out real loud: ‘No way, punk, you’re not stealing my paycheck and my tips!’

"I pointed my pistol at the guy running away with my purse and I squeezed the trigger -- six times." All six bullets struck the man in the back.

Judge Rainwater asked Marge why she shot the man six times?

Still under oath Marge answered, "When I pulled the trigger the seventh time it only went ‘click.’"

Marge was released without further charges. The next day, Tuesday, she was back working at Sonny’s Cafe.

Comment from this retired cop: Although the outcome may be amusing, the U. S. Supreme Court ruled back in the sixties that deadly force may not be used in incidents of property theft unless someone’s life is in danger.