Penalty reduced for man who took leaf blower from garage

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio’s top court has overturned the burglary conviction of a man who stole a $500 leaf blower from a resident’s garage because the man did not use “force, stealth, or deception” to commit the crime. The unanimous decision announced Wednesday by the Ohio Supreme Court also vacated an 8- to 12-year prison sentence given to Donald Bertram. The justices instead ruled he should be convicted of the lesser offense of misdemeanor criminal trespassing, which could bring him less than a year in jail. The case stems from a September 2020 incident in Portsmouth. Bertram drove by a home, then stopped there and walked into the garage, took the leaf blower and walked back to his car, then drove off.