Legal Definitions - abactor

An abactor is a legal term referring to an individual who steals large animals, particularly by driving them away. This term specifically applies to the theft of livestock such as cattle, horses, or sheep, where the act involves herding or moving the animals from their rightful owner's possession.

Here are some examples to illustrate this concept:

• Example 1: A rancher discovers that a significant portion of his cattle herd, which was grazing in a remote pasture, has been driven off overnight. The individual responsible for rounding up and moving these animals away from the rancher's property would be considered an abactor.

  Explanation: This scenario directly illustrates the definition because it involves the theft of large animals (cattle) by driving them away from their usual location, fitting the specific nature of an abactor's crime.

• Example 2: During a local fair, a group of prize-winning show horses are left in an unsecured paddock overnight. Someone intentionally opens the gates and herds the horses away from the fairgrounds, intending to sell them elsewhere. The person who orchestrated and executed the removal of these horses would be an abactor.

  Explanation: Here, the theft involves valuable large animals (horses) that are actively driven or led away from their holding area, demonstrating the characteristic action of an abactor.

• Example 3: A farmer wakes to find that a large flock of sheep, usually kept in an open field, has vanished. Investigation reveals that a person used dogs to round up the sheep and move them several miles down the road to a waiting truck. This individual, who stole the sheep by driving them off, would be legally identified as an abactor.

  Explanation: This example highlights the theft of livestock (sheep) through the act of herding or driving them away from their owner's land, which is the core action defining an abactor.