For example, a man was charged for throwing a woman’s cell phone out a bus window into traffic. The higher charge applied to intentionally damaging property worth more than $250, but fourth-degree criminal mischief applied to that monetary value only if the damage is inflicted recklessly. How Can a Person Get Charged with Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree?įourth-degree criminal mischief has provisions for both intentional and reckless damage to property, and these distinguish it from criminal mischief in the third degree. To be charged, a person need not intend to cause damage, but they must not have reason to believe that they have any right to the property in question. There are a number of forms of this charge, but essentially, it applies in cases where a person causes relatively low-value damage to another’s property.

Damaging Another Person’s Property What Is Criminal Mischief in the Fourth Degree?įourth-degree criminal mischief is the lowest and most inclusive tier of the criminal mischief charges.

Malicious mischief 3rd degree