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According to Kansas Code §21-3720, one could be charged with "criminal damage to property" if they have intentionally damaged, defaced, destroyed or substantially impaired the use of another person's property, but without the use of fire or explosives.
In the state of Kansas, some of the most commonly prosecuted juvenile crimes are those related to property damage. Although this crime is not strictly limited to minors—as underage drinking would be, for example—it is one that yields a high volume of young offenders. Depending on the extent and severity of the damage, the defendant could either be charged with a misdemeanor or felony offense.
If convicted of a criminal damage to property offense in Kansas, you could be facing time behind bars. For this reason, you should involve our Olathe juvenile crime attorney as soon as you have been arrested. Even as a juvenile offender, the penalties of a property crime could still be steep—as the line between minor and adult offenses has become a lot less defined in recent years. According to Kansas Code §21-3720, a convicted offender could face 11 to 13 years in prison for a severity level 7, nonperson felony, 5 to 7 years in prison for a level 9, nonperson felony and up to 6 months in jail for a class B nonperson misdemeanor. If convicted as a juvenile, the felony could also remain on your criminal record for the rest of your life.
Although juvenile crimes are treated differently under the criminal justice system, it is also true that young offenders can still be subjected to the same penalties as an adult. In cases that involve felony offenses, for example, the prosecution may not hesitate to push for jail time. Typically, juveniles can request leniency if they have been charged with a non-violent crime, however, as many believe that there should be more of a focus on rehabilitation rather than criminal punishment. For this reason, it is crucial that you have an aggressive lawyer by your side if you or your child has been charged with a serious criminal offense in Kansas. The last thing that you want is for your child's criminal record to be hanging over their head for the rest of their life, so we encourage you to take action immediately.
Whether you have been charged with a misdemeanor or felony count of criminal property damage, it is important that you take steps to protect yourself against a conviction. When you enlist the help of our Olathe criminal attorney from Garretson & Toth, LLC, you will be provided with nothing less than the aggressive criminal defense that you deserve. Our firm can offer you more than six decades of experience, so we encourage you to sit down with our team to discuss your case. Either way you choose to get in touch, we just ask that you do so quickly. There is no time to waste when your future is on the line.
You initial consultation is free when you call at (913) 971-0296, but you can also reach us online when you submit a free case evaluation form directly from our website.