The Illinois Supreme Court says the case against a shoplifter who lived in Normal is absurd, illogical and unjust.
Jesse Bradford was arrested in 2012 for stealing two DVDs, a hat, shoes and a bottle of Dr. Pepper from a Walmart in Bloomington. He was convicted of burglary, a felony that carries three to seven years in prison.
Burglary usually involves unlawful entry, but in this case prosecutors argued that Bradford unlawfully “remained.” As in, Bradford being in a Walmart during business hours with the intent to steal is basically the same as breaking into someone’s house.
In an opinion handed down Thursday, Supreme Court Justice Anne Burke wrote this definition of burglary “strains logic” and “has the potential to lead to absurdity.” Bradford has already served his full sentence.