St. Paul Property Crime Lawyer

In Minnesota damage of property law, criminal damage to property is generally defined as causing physical damage to someone else's possessions without their consent. Four degrees of this offense exist, which are separated based on the specifics of the situation.

Criminal Damage to Property 1st Degree in Minnesota

A person could be charged with a first-degree offense if:

• The damage they caused put another person at risk of bodily harm;
• They damaged a police car, fire apparatus, ambulance, or other public safety vehicle to the point that its service was substantially impaired or interrupted or the damage caused a risk of bodily harm;
• They damaged a common carrier, rendering the vehicle inoperable for public service;
• The damaged property's value was reduced by over $1,000; or
• The damaged property's value was reduced by $500 and the individual had previously been convicted of an offense within the past 3 years

First-degree criminal damage to property is a felony. A conviction is punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $10,000.

Criminal Damage to Property 2nd Degree in Minnesota

A second-degree charge is levied against a person who:

• Causes damage that reduces the value of the property by between $500 and $1,000, or damages a public safety vehicle; and
• The offense was carried out because of the alleged victim's actual or perceived:

Criminal damage to property in the second degree is also a felony. It's punishable by up to 1 year, 1 day imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $3,000.

Criminal Damage to Property 3rd Degree in Minnesota

An individual may be accused of committing a third-degree offense if they:

• Cause damage that reduces the value of the property by between $500 and $1,000; or
• Cause damage to a public safety vehicle

The conviction penalties for third-degree criminal property damage include up to 1 year in jail and/or a fine of up to $3,000.

4th Degree Criminal Damage to Property MN

A person may be charged with a fourth-degree offense for causing damage to property that was not a public safety vehicle and the value of the item is reduced by less than $500. A conviction could lead to up to 90 days in jail and/or a fine of up to $1,000.