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53 °F Forecast | Road Cams Friday, January 28, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Opportunities Moving to Southern Oregon? MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 3, 2004 Since You Asked Criminal mischief is really vandalism As we read the emergency services section of the paper, we frequently see that people are arrested for criminal mischief. I’m sure that this is something serious, but it sounds frivolous. What is the definition of criminal mischief? — Tom P., Medford The legal term of criminal mischief is best defined as vandalism. It does sound frivolous, but criminal mischief increases in seriousness depending on the value of property damaged. The crime becomes a felony when the perpetrator damages or destroys items with a value of $750 or more. Oregon law allows five years in prison or a $100,000 fine as the maximum punishment for this offense. Criminal mischief as a felony also can be charged in cases when property is destroyed by explosives or by starting a fire and in instances when the damaged property belongs to a public utility, telecommunications carrier, railroad, public transportation facility or medical facility. The same law also applies if the perpetrator interferes with the efficiency of any one of these entities or seriously injures or kills a police animal. Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to [email protected] . We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers