In Phoenix, Arizona, misdemeanor criminal damage charges are nothing to be taken lightly. Although not as serious as a felony criminal damage charge, being accused of, or charged with, one or more counts of misdemeanor criminal damage can significantly impact your personal and professional life in a number of negative ways.
Therefore, if you find yourself accused of, or charged with misdemeanor criminal damage in Phoenix, you should immediately seek out a competent, aggressive defense attorney to fight for your rights.
Misdemeanor Criminal Damage Penalties
In Phoenix, misdemeanor criminal damage can be a class 1 or class 2 misdemeanor charge. The guidelines and penalties for these misdemeanor charges, as defined by A.R.S. 13-1602, include
Class I Misdemeanor Criminal Damage Charge- A class 1 misdemeanor charge applies when property damage is more than $250 and less than $1000. If you are found guilty of a class 1 misdemeanor criminal damage charge, you can be fined up to $2500 and jailed for up to 6 months. Furthermore:
- If you engage in reckless or intentional burning, which includes setting fire to or exploding material that ends up causing damage to property or a structure, you will be charged with a class 1 misdemeanor. This includes facing up to 6 months in jail and fines totaling $2500 plus surcharges (ARS 13-1702).
- If you engage in reckless or intentional arson, which includes knowingly and willingly damaging a structure or property by fire or explosion on a property, and the damage is less than $100, you will also be charged with a class 1 misdemeanor. If convicted, you can face fines up to $2500 plus surcharges, and serve up to 6 months in jail. However, should you engage in reckless or intentional arson on a structure directly (like a building), whether occupied or not, you will automatically be charged with a minimum class 4 felony instead (ARS 13-1703).
You can learn more about the penalties for arson on structures in Phoenix by visiting our Felony Criminal Damage.
Class 2 Misdemeanor Criminal Damage Charge- A class 2 misdemeanor criminal damage charge applies when property damage is less than $250. If you are found guilty of a class 2 misdemeanor criminal damage charge, you can be fined up to $750 and jailed for up to 4 months.
Trust Phoenix Criminal Attorney With Your Misdemeanor Criminal Damage Defense
Whether you are facing a class 1 or class 2 misdemeanor charge, failure to procure a qualified defense attorney can result in a harsher and more costly sentence. Phoenix Criminal Attorney
Law provides our clients with focused legal assistance for all misdemeanor criminal damage charges. We will not stop fighting for your rights by making sure that every possible legal option and defense strategy is available to you. If you have been charged with any class of misdemeanor criminal damage offense in Phoenix, contact us today for a private, no obligation consultation at 602-551-8092.
