State v. Donaldson

STREIT, Justice.

Is a person guilty of theft if he breaks into another’s car and engages the entire electrical system, save the engine? Specifically, the question on appeal is whether Dean Lester Donaldson possessed or controlled another’s van when he broke into it, dismantled the steering column, and manipulated the ignition switch, turning on the radio and lighting the “check engine” sign on the dashboard. After a trial, Donaldson was convicted of second-degree theft. The district court overruled Donaldson’s motion for a judgment of acquittal. Donaldson argues there were insufficient facts…