Criminal Mischief is charged in Greeley and Weld County when a person causes damage to another person’s property. A teen is facing these charges after smashing multiple sculptures and attempting to damage paintings at the Denver Art Museum. According to the report, the teen pushed one glass sculpture onto the ground and then proceeded to throw others around the room. He tried to get at two paintings, but they were protected by plastic and he was unable to reach them. The 18-year-old was tackled and held for arrest. It is likely he will face a felony for the property damage charges.
Greeley Criminal Mischief Lawyer: Definition of Criminal Mischief Sculpture Smashing in Weld County
The Weld, Morgan, and Logan County, Colorado law definition of Criminal Mischief – C.R.S. 18-4-501 – is:
Knowingly is an important term in this definition. If the teen had accidentally knocked into one of the sculptures and knocked it over, he would have an argument that the property damage was not intentional and therefore, not done knowingly. I’m not sure that argument will work in this situation, though, as the situation was caught on security footage and picking something up to throw it across the room is likely not going to be construed as accidental.
Sentence for Criminal Mischief Charges from Throwing Art Museum Sculptures
Criminal Mischief can be charged as a misdemeanor or felony depending on the damage caused. For property damage totaling less than $1,000, it would be a misdemeanor charge. Any damage totaling $1,000 or more would be a felony. While the art museum has not completed their assessment of the total damage caused, it’s more that likely that damaging multiple historical art pieces will make for a pretty pricey damage total.
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 970-616-6009 to schedule your free consultation. Together, we can protect your future.
Photo by Michael D Beckwith on Unsplash