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Question: How can I be charged with Grafitti without the police catching me in the act?

Answer:

Graffiti is more generally known as criminal damage. Damaging someones property can be a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the dollar amount of the damage. (A.R.S. § 13-1602).

 

A charge of criminal damage can be made against you when the prosecution believes it has enough evidence to have a judge or jury convinced beyond a reasonable doubt that you committed the offense. The officer who arrests you does not have to witness the damage when you did it. In fact, there doesnt have to be an eye-witness to the offense at all.

It is possible, for example, that someone else saw you commit the crime and reported it to the police. It is also conceivable that the officer saw the graffiti on a wall, and when questioning you about something else, noticed that your notebook had similar drawings and sayings as the graffiti. The state would still have to be able to convince the judge or jury that you did it, however, for you to be found guilty. The charge, by itself, is not evidence.


Comments
1 thru 5 of 49 comments
On 02/17/09
kriden from PA said:
4 months ago, me and my friends did garfitti, we got caught doing it, we went to the police station and wrote a statement on what happend. but i havent heard anything can i be charged?
On 10/07/07
Sinkes from GA said:
That's not fair, someone could've ripped off your tag or tried to frame you (and was successful)
On 03/26/04
None of your business from IN said:
I have been convicted with a few crimes due to grafitti...but i wil still do it no matter what. Sure I would love for people to see this as an art form instead of vandalism. People are closed minded and I would never expect anyone other than taggers to understand.
On 03/26/04
alex from CA said:
see us true graff artists see things from a different perspective,and just cus that people take it the wrong way. I admit these toys out here that tag on peoples walls r the ones giving us a bad rep. but true graff artists do murals on peoples walls with permission & u cant deny that they dont look better than tagging. yes we also write on walls but they r in washes,under bridges or were train tracks are, and its not like anyone really see's it. but it's when you start painting over murals on the streets that we got permission to do is when we resort to revenge & hit the streets!!! all we need
On 03/26/04
saons from CA said:
see i dont know why pigz try to stop graff cuz it never will.... if u think about it its kinda like the energizer bunny it just keepz goin & goin & goin......so for the true graff artists out there keep steady mobbin them yards,buses,trains, or bill boards.... AND FOR U TAGGERS THAT JUST DO IT CUZ EVERY 1 ELSE IS,NOT CUZ U LOVE IT JUST STOP CUZ UR THE ONES GIVING US A BAD NAME WRITING ON PEOPLES HOUSES!!!! PEACE OUT & STAY UP<----->,FIVE 9 FOUR
1 thru 5 of 49 comments



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