State v. Dickerson

Oregon’s criminal mischief statute, ORS 164.354, prohibits persons from intentionally damaging “property of another.” The issue in this case is whether wild deer are “property of another” for purposes of that statute. Defendant was convicted of second-degree criminal mischief, ORS 164.354, after aiding and abetting his son to shoot two state-owned deer decoys that they believed to be deer. Defendant appealed his criminal mischief conviction, arguing that the trial court had erred in denying his motion for judgment of acquittal because wild deer do not become property until reduced to physical…