Based elder trash man aside, yes it is usually a crime to put something in or remove something from a dumpster if you are not authorized. Just some good advice.
It is also a crime to tackle a person on the street. However if you tackle someone who just robbed a bank, nobody will judge you for tackling him.
Similarly in this case, the ballots from the 2020 election were supposed to be preserved for two years. It would be a crime to shred them. This citizen has (seemingly) uncovered a crime, and an ordinary person would say that this public interest act of service vastly outweighs any concerns about whose trash is whose.
Based elder trash man aside, yes it is usually a crime to put something in or remove something from a dumpster if you are not authorized. Just some good advice.
It is also a crime to tackle a person on the street. However if you tackle someone who just robbed a bank, nobody will judge you for tackling him.
Similarly in this case, the ballots from the 2020 election were supposed to be preserved for two years. It would be a crime to shred them. This citizen has (seemingly) uncovered a crime, and an ordinary person would say that this public interest act of service vastly outweighs any concerns about whose trash is whose.