Criminal Mischief is charged in Fort Collins and Larimer County when a person is accused of causing damage to someone else’s property. Whether it be as an act of frustration or revenge, the motive doesn’t matter. If someone accuses you of damaging their property, you will likely be charged with this crime.
How is Criminal Mischief Charged in Larimer County?
The Larimer County, Colorado law definition of Criminal Mischief – C.R.S. 18-4-501 – is:
Examples of Criminal Mischief Cases in Loveland
Here are a few examples of Criminal Mischief cases in Fort Collins and Loveland:
- John throws the remote against the wall during an argument with his wife. Police are called and John is charged with Criminal Mischief for the damage to the remote and the wall.
- Katie is angry at her ex for breaking up with her, so she keys his car while it’s in his driveway. She is caught on the Ring Doorbell camera and charged.
- Al is having a disagreement with his neighbor about a fence placement between their yards. Al believes that the fence is on his property, so he takes it down. It’s proven that the neighbor did have the correct property line and the fence was properly installed, so Al is charged with Criminal Mischief for the fence damage.
Colorado Penalty for Criminal Mischief: Fort Collins Defense Attorney Advises
Much like Theft, the charge level for Criminal Mischief is based on the value of the property damaged.
Criminal mischief is:
- A petty offense when the aggregate damage to the real or personal property is less than three hundred dollars;
- A class 2 misdemeanor when the aggregate damage to the real or personal property is three hundred dollars or more but less than one thousand dollars;
- A class 1 misdemeanor when the aggregate damage to the real or personal property is one thousand dollars or more but less than two thousand dollars;
- A class 6 felony when the aggregate damage to the real or personal property is two thousand dollars or more but less than five thousand dollars;
- A class 5 felony when the aggregate damage to the real or personal property is five thousand dollars or more but less than twenty thousand dollars;
- A class 4 felony when the aggregate damage to the real or personal property is twenty thousand dollars or more but less than one hundred thousand dollars;
- A class 3 felony when the aggregate damage to the real or personal property is one hundred thousand dollars or more but less than one million dollars; and
- A class 2 felony when the aggregate damage to the real or personal property is one million dollars or more.
Obviously, the higher the value of the property, the more severe the penalty will be.
Larimer County Criminal Mischief as an Act of Domestic Violence: Shared Property Counts!
Criminal Mischief is often charged as an act of Domestic Violence in Larimer County. This occurs when the person accused of damaging the property is in a relationship with the person whose property was damaged. In these situations, it’s important to know that shared property counts! In the example above where John broke the remote and damaged the wall, it doesn’t matter that the damaged property also belongs to John. Because it’s shared property, he can still be charged.
If you or someone you love has been charged with Criminal Mischief, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact the best criminal defense attorneys from the O’Malley Law Office at 970-658-0007 to schedule a free initial consultation. Together, we can protect your future.
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