ADEL, Ga. – Cook County Probate Court Judge Chase Daughtrey wants to remind citizens that theft of pecans is a crime. As pecan season begins, Cook County Sheriff Doug Hanks and his deputies are patrolling orchards in the county. Georgia Code Section 44-12-241 and 44-12-242, states that “it shall be unlawful for any person, without the permission of the owner of pecan trees grown on private property, to pick or otherwise remove any pecans from the limbs or branches of the trees or to cause pecans to fall from the trees.”

Any person found to be stealing pecans can be cited for a misdemeanor during the harvesting season which began October 1 and ends on December 31. If convicted, a person could face a $1,000.00 fine and/or 12 months in jail for each offense.

The law further states that “when pecan trees are grown on private property and the branches of the trees extend over public roads, streets or highway rights of way, any pecans falling from any such pecan trees onto the public rights of way shall be the property of the owner of the pecan trees until the end of the harvesting season; and it shall be unlawful for any person to remove the pecans from any public rights of way during the harvesting season without the permission of the owner of the trees.”