
We also have a second office in New Port Richey in Pasco County located across from the courthouse at the West Pasco Judicial Center. Our main office is located in downtown Tampa in Hillsborough County, FL. The attorneys at Sammis Law Firm represent adults and juveniles charged with property crimes such as criminal mischief. Attorneys for Criminal Mischief in Hillsborough County, FL
The property is jointly owned by the accused and the alleged victim.īecause of the impulsive nature in which the crimes are often committed, charges for criminal mischief are particularly common in juvenile court. The property does not actually belong to the alleged victim who made the complaint or. The damage to the property was not the direct result of the action of the person accused of the crime. Other extenuating circumstances excused the act such as necessity or duress. A legal justification, such as acting in self-defense, defense of others, or defense of property, excuses the action. The damage caused to the property was an accident. If more than $1,000 of property damage occurred, the crime will be listed as CRIMINAL MISCHIEF $1,000 OR MORE (CRMS3000), a third degree felony.ĭefenses in criminal mischief cases include: The most common charges are for misdemeanor criminal mischief with less than $200 dollars in property damage. The penalties and punishments for criminal mischief depend on the value of the damage to the property, the type of property, and whether the defendant has any prior convictions. Criminal mischief involves one person willfully damaging property that belongs to another person.Ĭriminal mischief often involves the placement of graffiti or other acts of vandalism such as keying the side of someone’s car or breaking a window.