A person may be found guilty of third-degree malicious mischief if they knowingly or recklessly caused damage to someone else’s personal property.What Are the Potential Penalties for a Malicious Mischief Charge and Conviction? Washington State defines damage for these charges as ‘the total or partial alteration, damage, obliteration, or erasure’ of property owned by another person that exists either in the physical or digital space.ĭepending on the value of the items damaged, the intention behind the acts, and other varying factors like potentially other crimes committed in the act, these malicious mischief allegations could be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony. In Washington State, the damage defined in criminal mischief charges can extend to the negative alteration or deletion of data, records, programs, and computer files. Examples could include slamming a door shut too hard and breaking the glass, throwing a rock at a window, striking a car with a baseball bat, and breaking a piece of art. Malicious mischief charges can result from an act in which one person causes damage, either intentionally or accidentally, to another individual’s property.

How Does Washington State Law Define ‘Damage’ for the Charge of Malicious Mischief? To speak with a lawyer who is knowledgeable in these legal matters, please contact our law firm to schedule a free consultation. We have experience in malicious mischief cases and the varying categories that the charges can be split into.

Depending on the facts relating to the malicious mischief offense, a person may be charged with a gross misdemeanor or a felony.Īt South Sound Law Group, our team of attorneys and associates have decades of experience in representing clients in legal issues in and around Tacoma, WA. Malicious Mischief Lawyers in Tacoma Providing Dedicated Legal Representation to Clients Charged with Destruction of PropertyĪre you or someone you love facing a charge for malicious mischief in Washington State? These are serious charges that can be accompanied by even more serious consequences if a trial leads to a conviction.

Malicious mischief 3