Malicous Destruction of Property
by
Jared Austin on Sep. 18, 2013
Criminal Misdemeanor Criminal Felony Criminal
Summary: Michigan's malicious destruction of property (mdop) aka vandalism and criminal property damage-- including definitions, penalties, and defenses.
More
commonly known as vandalism or criminal property damage, malicious destruction
of property (MDOP) involves the willful and malicious destruction of or
injuring the personal property of another person. Depending on the value of the
property and if you have any previous
MDOP convictions, it can range from a misdemeanor to a felony.
If
any of the following apply, you face up to 10 years in prison and/or $15,000 in
fines or three times the value of the property, whichever is greater:
·
The property is valued at $20,000 or more
·
You have two or more prior MDOP convictions
If
any of the following apply, you face up to five years in prison and/or $10,000
in fines or three times the value of the property, whichever is greater:
·
The property is valued at $1,000-20,000
·
You have one prior MDOP convictions
If
any of the following apply, you face up to one year in jail and/or $2,000 in
fines or three times the value of the property, whichever is greater
·
The property is valued at $200-1,000
·
You have one prior misdemeanor MDOP conviction or a local ordinance
conviction equivalent to MDOP
You
face up to 93 days in jail and/or $500 in fines or three times the value of the
property, whichever is greater, if the value of the property is less than $200
Additionally,
you will face heightened penalties if the property is:
·
home
·
school
·
fence
·
school bus
·
barn
·
police property
·
fire department property
There
is also a related crime of burning insured property, which is
essentially insurance fraud. It involves the willful destruction or injuring of
insured property for the purpose of defrauding the insurer.
These
are serious felonies that require experienced legal representation.