State lawmakers, concerned about a rise in auto theft, passed stricter penalties for stealing a “motor vehicle.” But when one man stole a riding lawn mower in Leavenworth, the prosecutor filed charges classifying the lawn mower as a motor vehicle. After all, the mower had a motor, a steering wheel, brakes and a gas pedal. But did the State Supreme Court buy the argument?
Watch State of Washington v. Joshua M. Barnes: