Jefferson County Missouri Property Damage Lawyer

A person commits the offense of property damage in the first degree if such person: (1) Knowingly damages property of another to an extent exceeding seven hundred fifty dollars; or (2) Damages property to an extent exceeding seven hundred fifty dollars for the purpose of defrauding an insurer; or (3) Knowingly damages a motor vehicle of another and the damage occurs while such person is making entry into the motor vehicle for the purpose of committing the crime of stealing therein or the damage occurs while such person is committing the crime of stealing within the motor vehicle.

The offense of property damage in the first degree committed under subdivision (1) or (2) of subsection 1 of this section is a class E felony. The offense of property damage in the first degree committed under subdivision (3) of subsection 1 of this section is a class D felony.

A person commits the offense of property damage in the second degree if he or she: (1) Knowingly damages property of another; or (2) Damages property for the purpose of defrauding an insurer.

The offense of property damage in the second degree is a class B misdemeanor.

A person commits the offense of institutional vandalism if he or she knowingly vandalizes, defaces, or otherwise damages: (1) Any church, synagogue or other building, structure or place used for religious worship or other religious purpose; (2) Any cemetery, mortuary, military monument or other facility used for the purpose of burial or memorializing the dead; (3) Any school, educational facility, community center, hospital or medical clinic owned and operated by a religious or sectarian group; (4) The grounds adjacent to, and owned or rented by, any institution, facility, building, structure or place described in subdivision (1), (2), or (3) of this subsection; (5) Any personal property contained in any institution, facility, building, structure or place described in subdivision (1), (2), or (3) of this subsection; or (6) Any motor vehicle which is owned, operated, leased or under contract by a school district or a private school for the transportation of school children.

The offense of institutional vandalism is a class A misdemeanor, unless the value of the property damage is seven hundred fifty dollars or more, in which case the offense is a class E felony; or the value of the property damage is more than five thousand dollars, in which case the offense is a class D felony. In determining the amount of damage to property, for purposes of this section, damage includes the cost of repair or, where necessary, replacement of the property that was damaged.