Man cleared of 99-cent hot dog theft

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CHENEY, Wash., April 27 (UPI) -- A Washington state man who said he forgot to pay for a 99-cent hot dog was cleared of theft by a jury.

John Richardson, 30, said he spent $28 at Mitchell's IGA in Cheney in December but forgot to pay for the 99-cent hot dog he ate while shopping, The Spokesman-Review, Spokane, Wash., reported Wednesday.

Richardson and other witnesses said he offered to pay for the sausage when the manager confronted him outside of the store, but the payment was refused and police were called.

A jury took less than five minutes to clear Richardson of the theft charge.

"From all the testimony, you'd have to be an idiot to not realize that the guy simply forgot," juror Patrick Reeves said. "It took the jury about five minutes to come to a verdict."