Desk Appearance Ticket for Criminal Mischief (Property Damage)

Criminal mischief is when someone when, having no right to do so nor any reasonable ground to believe that he or she has such a right, intentionally damages property belonging to another person, damages an abandoned building, or recklessly causes over $250 of damage to another person’s property.

If it comes to the attention of the NYPD that you damaged someone else’s property, they may arrest you for criminal mischief. After your arrest, the police can bring you to see a judge right away or give you a desk appearance ticket for criminal mischief. A desk appearance ticket for criminal mischief will direct you to appear in New York City criminal court at a future date for a formal arraignment. At your arraignment, your attorney can enter a plea on your behalf.

Criminal mischief desk appearance tickets are commonly issued in New York city where there has been an argument and someone gets angry and damages someone else’s property. This is common in road rage situations, angry arguments between friends or acquaintances, or other angry encounters such as in restaurants and bars when alcohol is involved or other angry dealings between individuals. If the value of the damage is high enough, the prosecutor can add felony charges when you appear in court. For example, if you are given a desk appearance ticket for misdemeanor criminal mischief because you got angry and damaged someone’s property, the prosecutor can add a felony charge if they find out that the value of the damage exceeds $250 which often happens if the damage is to a car or electronics.

Get Help Now.

If you’ve been given a desk appearance ticket for criminal mischief, things can move very slowly between your arrest and formal arraignment in criminal court. At the arraignment, things can move fast. If you’re not careful, you may end up with a permanent outcome that can affect your life for decades later. If your case isn’t resolved at the arraignment, you could face a process that is designed to hold you accountable and penalize you accordingly. Don’t let your arrest for criminal mischief end with a conviction.

Lance Fletcher, a former Manhattan prosecutor, has over 15 years of experience litigating criminal cases in New York City. Contact us for a case evaluation to discuss what happened that lead up to your criminal mischief charges. We will explore defenses that you may not have known that you have, and discuss ways to get your case resolved in a way that will keep your record clean and avoid other penalties and punishments.