In re the Personal Restraint of John Tortorelli
Washington Supreme Court
66 P.3d 606 (2003)
Relevant factsFree
John Tortorelli (defendant) was convicted of theft for taking stray logs and submerged trees from a lake that the state constitution defined as state property; Tortorelli argued he could not be guilty of theft because he owned the logs and trees under the common-law "law of finds" doctrine, which awards ownership to the first person to discover and possess unclaimed or abandoned items found in the sea.
IssueFree
Does a conviction for theft require proof that the defendant stole the property of another?