Have you or your loved one been charged with criminal damage to property in Covington, Louisiana? Are you aware of your rights, defenses, and possible penalties? Did you know you could speak to our criminal defense attorney who could help you? It is understandable if you don’t already know all this, but it could be grave if you don’t equip yourself with this information as soon as possible.
An allegation of criminal damage to property isn’t one that you want to take lightly. It bears grave consequences and you must seek to get yourself cleared and free. In this article, we will discuss exactly what criminal damage to property is and everything else that you need to know concerning the penalties and possible defenses.
What is criminal damage to property in Louisiana RS 14:56?
Criminal damage to property, simply put, means the intentional destruction of a person’s property by another for whatever reason known to him as long as it is not authorized by the government and not legal.
The property in this definition can range from any form of structure whether on land or on water, whether it is a landed property or a movable one, as long as it is a house or serves as a form of dwelling place to the plaintiff. There are majorly two kinds of criminal damage to property and they are:
Simple criminal damage to property: this involves intentionally damaging the property of one person by another using any means other than fire without their consent.
Aggravated criminal damage to property: this also involves damaging the property of an individual with the full intention and doing this with complete knowledge that it could lead to the physical hurt or, possibly, death of the person(s) inside the property.
Before you can fight your way out of criminal damage to property you would need an experienced attorney who has full knowledge and has practiced the Louisiana laws. Not only that. You would need an attorney who has been successful in the business of defending people like you who are charged with criminal offenses. Our Covington criminal defense lawyer is the just the right pro to call when you’re faced with a criminal charge which could suck your finances dry as well as land you in jail for years.
What are the penalties for criminal damage to property?
If you have been indicted for any crime relating to damage to property, maybe by virtue of hiring an inexperienced attorney, you will be faced with one of the following penalties. The importance of a specialized attorney cannot be overemphasized.
In a situation where the destroyed property is worth an amount below one thousand dollars, you would be fined an amount not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000). You could also be made to spend up to, but not more than, 6 months in prison. Sometimes, depending on the gravity of the situation, you could be made to fulfill both.
In a situation where the property which has been destroyed is above one thousand dollars ($1,000) but below fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), you would be fined an amount not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000) or be made to spend not less than one year and not more than 2 years in prison with or without hard labor. In some situations, you may be made to face both.
If the amount of the destroyed property exceeds fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), you would be fined an amount not more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000), or imprisoned for not less than one year and not more than ten years. Sometimes you could be made to face both.
In some situations, the court may order that you pay, in full, the total amount of the person’s property. If, however, the court finds out that you’re unable to make full payment due to insufficient finances, a payment plan is imposed on you to allow you to make periodic payments until the amount is complete.
These penalties are heavy and grave. They are completely unbearable especially when the allegations leveled against you aren’t true. You shouldn’t take chances with an attorney who doesn’t have the required knowledge as well as years of experience with criminal offenses such as this. If by virtue of an incapable attorney, you are locked in jail for the crime when you didn’t do it, you know the negative effects it would have on you and your records.
Our criminal lawyer doesn’t only know his way around cases like this, he will also walk alongside you to make sure that you are discharged and acquitted. He has handled countless criminal cases such as this and yours will only be one of the successes to add to the list.
What are your possible defenses against criminal damage to property charge?
In the event that you’re charged with criminal damage to property, your attorney may claim one of the following defenses to facilitate your quick release:
That the act was unintentional: if you have, by virtue of a mistake, destroyed a person’s property, you could inform your attorney about this and let him or her know the exact way that the incident happened.
That the evidence is immaterial: your lawyer could claim that the allegations leveled against you do not hold water. This could mean that there are no real facts to prove that you really committed the crime.
Louisiana DWI & Criminal Lawyers
Louisiana criminal lawyers and DWI attorneys at the Barkemeyer Law Firm providing legal defense services for clients in Baton Rouge, Ascension, Livingston, Tangipahoa, Port Allen, Alexandria, New Orleans, Lafayette, Metairie, Kenner, Gretna, Hahnville, Chalmette, Slidell, St. Tammany, St. Charles, St. John, St. Bernard, Mandeville, Covington, Shreveport, Bossier, Jefferson, and all of Louisiana.
DISCLAIMER: The information on this website is not formal legal advice nor does it create an attorney-client relationship.
Louisiana DWI And Criminal Law Firm
