Is a Lawn Mower a Motor Vehicle? Man’s Felony Theft Sentence Could Ride on the Answer

It has four wheels and can hit speeds of 40 mph. But is a riding lawn mower technically a motor vehicle? That odd question confronted the Georgia Supreme Court Monday after a man appealed a 10-year sentence for swiping a riding mower from a Home Depot store. The man seeks a shorter prison term by challenging his conviction for felony motor vehicle theft. The court's decision could also help clarify what lawyers say is a murky definition for "motor vehicles" that may also extend beyond lawnmowers.