A juvenile can be charged with almost any crime that an adult can be charged with in Loveland and Fort Collins. Criminal Mischief is one of those charges. Often, kids will get into situations where they are bored or just deciding to be destructive and that destruction can have serious consequences. Whether a minor goes into a house under construction and starts breaking windows and splashing paint around, or they simply use spray paint to tag different places in their town, the penalties can be severe.
How is Criminal Mischief Charged in Larimer County?
The Larimer County, Colorado law definition of Criminal Mischief – C.R.S. 18-4-501 – is:
Causing any damage to someone else’s property will result in this charge.
Penalty for Juvenile Criminal Mischief Charges in Fort Collins
In Fort Collins and Loveland, Criminal Mischief is charged based on the damage caused. It can be charged as a petty offense, misdemeanor, or felony.
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.
As you can see, the damage needs to be $2,000 or more in order to be charged with a felony. This really is a pretty low number. It would not be difficult for someone to cause that much damage, even with spray paint. It’s scary how easily your child could be facing a felony charge for Criminal Mischief.
If your child has been charged with a crime, 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 child’s future.
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