Is graffiti considered malicious mischief? And is it enough to incriminate you? Learn on this slideshow.

1. Malicious Mischief in
United States Crimes

2. The United States Code has a definition
of malicious mischief on its 65th
Chapter and describes it as a
“depredation against any property of
the United States.”
But what does it say in Nevada? How is
it defined and what are the
punishments if you did it in the State?

3. Malicious Mischief Definition in the
Nevada Revised Statutes
According to NRS 206.010, you cannot
“damage or destroy any dwelling house or
other building, or any shop, steamboat, vessel
or other property.”
NRS 206.015 states that you cannot
maliciously damage any crops, gardens, trees,
and shrubs found in public or private lands.

4. Malicious Mischief Definition in the
Nevada Revised Statutes
You also are committing malicious mischief if you
damage properties used for religious and memorial
purposes, as well as schools, transportation facilities,
and community centers. As written in the NRS
206.125, anyone who destroys or defaces any of the
areas listed is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.
Even carrying graffiti implement or kits can make you
an offender if it is proven that you have the intent to
vandalize.

5. Penalties of Malicious Mischief in
Nevada
Since malicious mischief varies in factors that constitute it and
the complexities are not fit to be condensed in brief sentences,
you can read NRS 205 which shows its punishments depending
on the crime. If anything, what you should know is the greater
the damage is the greater the malicious mischief charges. If you
spray painted art to an abandoned home, you might get
misdemeanor as it could have less value and no people were
actually harmed because it is empty. If, however, you threw paint
at a government facility that disrupted operations then you will
most likely be convicted of a felony.

6. Defenses against Malicious Mischief in
Nevada
Some of the defense that you can use is that you were
mistaken as the offender. You could have been living
in the same neighborhood and you might have a
likeness or were friends with the real offender. With
the help of your Las Vegas criminal defense attorney,
you can also reduce your malicious mischief charges
by proving that the damages only happened because
the property is already on the brink of destruction.

7. Las Vegas Criminal Defense Attorney Ross Goodman
520 S 4th St, Las Vegas, NV 89101, USA
(702) 383 - 5088