Ohio Supreme Court: Man Took Leaf Blower So Brazenly It Wasn’t Burglary

An Ohio man acted so brazenly when he stole a leaf blower from a residence that it wasn’t a burglary.  In their unanimous decision, the Ohio Supreme Court found that because Donald Bertram did not use “force, stealth, or deception” to commit the crime, he should instead be convicted of the lesser offense of misdemeanor criminal trespassing, which could bring him less than a year in jail.

Bertram started walking up the driveway to the home’s open garage. The homeowner said Bertram was smiling and had no sense of urgency as he walked into the garage, took the leaf blower and walked back to his car.  Bertram ignored the homeowner’s demand to put down the blower and instead put it on the passenger seat of his car and attempted to drive off. The homeowner took several photos of Bertram before he drove away.