Seven ATV riders plead guilty in Longview trespassing case

Written by The Oregonian

Monday, February 08, 2010

Two groups of people who rode their all-terrain vehicles on private property near Silverton entered guilty pleas in Marion County court today to trespassing.

The seven defendants were riding their ATVs on property owned by Longview Timber Co. last September during archery season. Longview Timber prohibits ATV use on its property year-round.

The first group of five riders were reported to police by an archery hunter who had advised them ATV riding was prohibited, according to the Oregon State Police. They ignored him and rode away.

When an Oregon State Police trooper found them, they indicated that they didn't think it was a big deal because they were on gravel roads, police said.

The five pleaded guilty to second-degree criminal trespass. They were each ordered to pay $167 in court fees, a $250 fine and $500 in restitution to Longview. Longview officials also banned them from company property for five years.

The group included: James Culver, 49, Richard Freres, 32, Chad Hafner, 33, and Theodore Hafner, 56, all of Stayton; and Jacob Toepfer, 32, of Sublimity

In an incident six days later, the same trooper heard ATVs operating nearby and questioned the two riders. They said a contractor had opened the gate and let them onto the property.

The contractor, however, told police that he saw the riders coming up to the gate and told them they weren't allowed to ride their ATVs on the property. They rode around him.

The two entered guilty pleas to second-degree criminal trespass. They were each ordered to pay $167 in court fees, a $250 fine and $500 in restitution to Longview. Longview officials also banned the two for life from company property.

The two were: Chris Schumacher, 53, of Aumsville and Sheila Rogers, 46, of Silverton.

Source: http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/02/seven_atv-riders_plead_guilty.html

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Community Voices

“During the past decade, I have personally had six out of seven elk hunts ruined by the careless intrusions of ATV operators. This epidemic has forced me to abandon one prime hunting area after another, only to encounter the same situation elsewhere. The shameful part of this picture is that the overwhelming majority of these ATV’ers are young and healthy, not decrepit or physically challenged. Maybe these riders would be more respectful of other people's outdoor experience if they knew we could ID them."

- Bill Sustrich, Colorado Backcountry Hunters and Anglers