Felony Charges Assessed against Teens for Graffiti Offenses

Five teens were taken into custody last month in connection to a series of property damage incidents involving graffiti. A total of 13 property damage incidents including spray paint on cars, signs and garage doors led to the arrest of the teens. One of the teens was 16 and so was transferred over to the juvenile courts. The other four individuals—three aged 18 and a fourth aged 17—were charged with state felonies. Prosecutors were initially pursuing hate crime enhancements since some of the graffiti included anti-gay slurs. The assistant district attorney prosecuting the case chose to drop the hate crime allegations since it couldn't be proven that the teens were actually targeting gay individuals. One of the vehicles that was spray painted with anti-gay slurs and turned out to belong to a lesbian couple but similar slurs were spray painted elsewhere when the property owners were not gay. You should begin working with a knowledgeable criminal defense lawyer right away if you or a loved one has been charged with a crime.

The four teens were each indicted in late September for felony graffiti offense since the property damage involved in the alleged incident was $1,500 to $20,000. This is a state jail felony charge which can result in imprisonment of 180 days to two years plus fines up to $10,000. Had the prosecution been able to successfully add the hate crime enhancement the charges would have been significantly increased to a third degree felony which could mean an increased prison sentence of up to 10 years. The teens will be in court later in October but it is not certain that the cases will go to trial.

Have you been charged with a property crime?

Offenses against property include criminal acts aimed at causing damage to personal, city, county, state or federal property. This includes such things as graffiti, criminal mischief, arson and others. Property damage committed in certain locations such as a church, hospital, school, cemetery or public monument can mean enhanced charges and the possibility of felony punishment. Whether a property crime is considered a misdemeanor or felony depends on the financial cost of the damage. Damage under $1,500 is usually a misdemeanor while above that amount can be a felony. Make sure you have a trustworthy and highly competent criminal defense attorney on your side. Contact our team at the D'Amore Law Firm now to schedule your initial consultation!