Simple Criminal Damage to Property Defense Lawyer in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Call 225-964-6720

Carl Barkemeyer is a criminal damage to property defense lawyer in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. For years, Carl Barkemeyer has defended those charged with Simple Criminal Damage to Property.  This charge can either be a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the value of the alleged damaged property.  The felony grade can carry a minimum of one year in prison.  It is important to have an experienced attorney who knows how to defend this charge.  Contact Mr. Barkemeyer to discuss your case.

Click here to learn more regarding criminal damage to property laws and penalties in Louisiana.

Simple Criminal Damage to Property Defense

The right to own property is a very important right given in the United States including Louisiana as well. It is a significant ideal that people may purchase and own property to their liking and have the right to protect it and not have it destructed or destroyed by another person. However, many times this does happen where people will intentionally damage another person’s property without consent which can be considered a serious crime in many states including Louisiana. It is important to consider it a serious crime so that the value of the victim’s property is not destroyed without repercussions. Because of these reasons, simple criminal damage to property carries with hefty penalties if found guilty and should not be taken lightly. If you have recently been charged with simple criminal damage to property in the Baton Rouge area of Louisiana, it is imperative you reach out for legal assistance immediately from an experienced criminal defense attorney like Carl Barkemeyer. Mr. Barkemeyer has handled numerous simple criminal damage to property cases over his longtime career as a criminal defense attorney. He and his legal team can help your case by building a defense for you against the charges that can potentially find more positive results for you and your loved ones besides criminal punishment. It is highly important to reach out for legal aid because each case is different and needs to be looked at by a knowledgeable defense attorney like Mr. Barkemeyer.

What is simple criminal damage to property?

Criminal damage to property is considered as damaging or destroying someone else’s property without expressed consent that is considered to be intended or malicious. There are two different types of criminal damage to property, one being simple and one being aggravated. For this example, we will look at simple criminal damage to property. The main distinction between the two is that aggravated will include bodily injury during the damage to property or include the intent to harm during the damage to property. These will increase the severity of the crimes and also increase the strength of punishments as well. Simple criminal damage to property is defined under Louisiana state law as follows:

1. Simple criminal damage to property is the intentional damaging of any property of another, without the consent of the owner, and except as provided in R.S. 14:55, by any means other than fire or explosion.
2. The provisions of this Section shall include the intentional damaging of a dwelling, house, apartment, or other structure used in whole or in part as a home, residence, or place of abode by a person who leased or rented the property.

The first part of the law explains what is considered as simple criminal damage to property, but the second part goes more in-depth into what is included property that can be criminally damaged. This includes the damaging of buildings, houses, or other structures which will all fall under the provisions of simple criminal damage to property.

What are the punishments?

Simple criminal damage to property can be considered either a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the value of the property that was damaged. If it is deemed a felony, the punishment will be stricter than if it was just considered a misdemeanor. However, all of the penalties will be lessened since it is considered simple instead of aggravated. When it is escalated to aggravated criminal damage to property, the penalties get increased because bodily injury or intent to harm severely raises the seriousness of the crime. The penalties for being charged with simple criminal damage to property under Louisiana state law are as follows:

(1) Whoever commits the crime of simple criminal damage to property where the damage is less than $1000 shall be fined not more than $1,000 or imprisoned for not more than six months, or both.

(2) Where the damage amounts to $1000 but less than $50,000, the offender shall be fined not more than $1000 and/or imprisoned with or without hard labor for not more than two years, or both.

(3) Where the damage amounts to $50,000 or more, the offender shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned with or without hard labor for not less than one nor more than ten years, or both.

(4) In addition to the foregoing penalties, a person convicted under the provisions of this Section may be ordered to make full restitution to the owner of the property. If a person ordered to make restitution is found to be indigent and therefore unable to make restitution in full at the time of conviction, the court shall order a periodic payment plan consistent with the person's ability to pay.

It is important to know which property valuation you fall into if you have been charged so that you can assess the penalties and determine how serious your violation of the law was.

How can we help?

Simple criminal damage to property is a dangerous crime that should not be taken lightly. It can even be considered a felony and add up to 10 years of prison time onto your life. Because of these reasons, it is very important to get in touch with the offices of Carl Barkemeyer, criminal defense attorney so that we can start to craft a defense for your case that can potentially improve the results of your trial. All of the penalties that come with a simple criminal damage to property charge will hurt your future and the future of those around you by limiting your freedom for a long time to come. However, if you have the assistance from an experienced defense attorney like Mr. Barkemeyer who has defended many simple criminal damage to property cases then you can begin to look at the evidence and build a more impactful defense case to potentially protect yourself from further punishment. If you have recently been charged with simple criminal damage to property in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, contact us at (225) 964-6720 for legal assistance immediately.

Contact Carl Barkemeyer, Criminal Damage to Property defense lawyer in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at (225) 964-6720.