It’s rare that I get to write about happy endings because usually when the legal system becomes involved, no one ends up with a happy ending. It’s just the nature of the law. Legal punishments don’t always fix the problem and quite frankly, sometimes they make it worse. But that’s a soapbox for another day. Today’s story made me smile and I hope it does the same for you. A man wrote a letter to a park he used to live near and enclosed $500 in cash. Why did he do this? To make amends for a 25 year old mistake. As a young man, he and a couple friends had vandalized the bathroom of this local park. Still feeling badly about it so many years later, he wanted to make amends for his poor choice. The money is being used as the first donation to the park’s new all-abilities playground.
What is Criminal Mischief in Weld County?
While the man in this story did not have to go through the judicial process, we have seen many cases with similar circumstances result in criminal charges. In Weld, Morgan, and Logan County, vandalism is charged under the Criminal Mischief statute. The Colorado law definition of Criminal Mischief – C.R.S. 18-4-501 – is:
The penalty for this type of crime is based on the amount of property damage caused:
| If the Criminal Mischief property damage totals: | Then the class of crime will be: |
| Less than $300 | Class 3 Misdemeanor Criminal Mischief |
| $300 to $749 | Class 2 Misdemeanor Criminal Mischief |
| $750 to $999 | Class 1 Misdemeanor Criminal Mischief |
| $1,000 to $4,999 | Class 6 Felony Criminal Mischief |
| $5,000 to $19,999 | Class 5 Felony Criminal Mischief |
| $20,000 to $99,999 | Class 4 Felony Criminal Mischief |
| $100,000 to $999,999 | Class 3 Felony Criminal Mischief |
| $1,000,000 or more | Class 2 Felony Criminal Mischief |
Have you been charged with Criminal Mischief? Contact the experienced criminal defense lawyers from the O’Malley Law Office to defend you today!
Have you been charged with Criminal Mischief? Contact the experienced criminal defense lawyers from the O’Malley Law Office to defend you today!
If the man from the story above had truly caused $500 worth of damage and had been caught, he would have been facing the class 2 misdemeanor Weld County Criminal Mischief charge. He would have faced a sentence to the Weld County Jail. Instead, he was able to make amends without a criminal record. In my book, that’s a win!
If you or someone you love has been charged with Criminal Mischief in Greeley, Erie, or Evans, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and call the best criminal defense lawyers from the O’Malley Law Office at 970-616-6009 to schedule a free consultation. Together, we can protect your future.
Image Credit: Pixabay – tassilo111