Charged with Vandalism?
There are very severe penalties for vandalism in California, with an attempt to reduce the amount of graffiti or other defacement of property. There has been a lot of attention put on catching taggers or other individuals who vandalize property causing expensive repairs or repainting. The vandalism penalties are set up to be measured against the cost of the repair of the defaced property. For example, if the damage is over $10,000 to fix, the individual who is convicted of the crime can expect to pay a fine of $50,000 plus a possible one year in state prison. The crime can be considered a felony or misdemeanor, depending on what property was defaced and the cost of repairing it. The law looks particularly unkindly upon those who deface schools, churches, synagogues, cemeteries or law enforcement vehicles or property. If the charges are related to any of these, it is likely that you will be charged with a felony vandalism charge. In any vandalism charge, it is critical to get legal representation from a Los Angeles vandalism defense attorney.
Vandalism Defense Lawyer
Cases of felony vandalism can result in very serious penalties. If the person accused has an earlier conviction for vandalism, they are going to have a rough time in court. Any vandalism charge should be defended by a skilled criminal defense lawyer from the California Justice Law Group. The legal team will make every effort to have the charges against you dismissed. In other cases, the charges could be reduced or a negotiation on your behalf can be worked out with the prosecutor. There are a variety of possible diversion programs available that are approved by the state that could be offered as a possible alternative to jail or prison time.
Even a first vandalism charge can result in one year in jail, and when law enforcement considers that the crime is gang-related, the charge can be increased to a felony and cause you very serious difficulty in the future. If you or a loved one is facing such a charge, it is crucial that you get legal representation to fight aggressively on your behalf.