Commonwealth v. McConnell involved a dispute amongst neighbors. On the evening of May 31, 2019, the defendant turned on eight construction-grade floodlights in the backyard of his home. The floodlights were directed towards the home of the defendant’s neighbor, whose own backyard lights were annoying the defendant. At least seven neighbors complained to the police about the defendant’s floodlights. The police arrived, and after a forty-five-minute discussion, the defendant turned off the floodlights, which had been on for about two hours. Four days later, the police charged the defendant with disorderly conduct. After a magisterial judge convicted him, the defendant appealed for a trial de novo, and the trial court convicted the defendant, imposing a fine of $200 plus costs. The defendant appealed to the Pennsylvania Superior Court and challenged the sufficiency of the evidence. The Court affirmed and concluded that the evidence at trial established that the defendant created a physically offensive condition by shining eight construction-grade floodlights towards his neighbors’ houses.
