Madison WI Criminal Damage to Property Defense Attorney Lawyer

There are many aspects to Wisconsin’s criminal damage to property law, depending on whose property was damaged.  Criminal damage to the property of a judge or witness, for example, is a felony.  Criminal damage to property is a common offense charged in Wisconsin in domestic disputes.  In this context, criminal damage to property is usually a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to 9 months jail and a $10,000 fine.   Criminal damage under sec. 943.01(1) of the Wisconsin criminal law is defined as intentionally causing damage to the physical property of another without consent.  There is one quirk to Wisconsin’s criminal damage to property law that surprises many people.  You may be criminally convicted and sent to jail for damaging your own property.  This sounds incredible, but it is actually common in the context of a domestic case.  For example, two people, like a husband in wife or boyfriend and girlfriend, own property in common and one of the people intentionally damages that common property without the consent of the other.  The person who damaged the property may be charged with criminal damage to property in Wisconsin.  This is a common scenario in domestic cases where the people live together and share the property.