Mitchell v. State

The defendant, Lugene Mitchell, was arrested on October 18, 1974, while driving a white, 1973 Mercury Cougar, which he did not own. He was charged with driving a motor vehicle without the owner's consent, contrary to sec. 943.23, Stats. His defense was that he had been given permission to drive the car by a friend who claimed to be the owner. The arresting officers observed at that time that the ignition switch had been tampered with so that any key, including the General Motors key by defendant, could be used to start the vehicle. The defendant was tried, found guilty, and sentenced to an…