MDOP Attorney Michigan - Proactive Defense 

Call Me: 248-924-9458

Michigan Malicious Destruction of Property

If you've been charged with Malicious Destruction of Property (MDOP) in Michigan, it's important to speak to an experienced Michigan criminal defense attorney about your case.  In order to be found guilty of this offense, the prosecution must prove the following elements:

1- The property belonged to someone other than the defendant
2- The defendant destroyed or damaged the property
3- The defendant did so knowing it was wrong without just cause or excuse, and with intent to damage the property
4- Proving the amount of damage, which will determine what level offense you're charged with

Click here to learn how to take a growth mindset to an MDOP case in Michigan

- If the damage is under $200 dollars, you will be charged with a 93 day misdemeanor.
- If the damage is between $200-$1,000 dollars you will be charged with a one year misdemeanor
- If the damage exceeds $1,000, but below $20,000, you will be charged with a felony
- If the damage exceeds $20,000 you will be charged with a more serious felony that carries more jail time

The prosecution will be able to add together numerous incidents if the crime involved the same parties within 12 months.  The test for value is "fair market value".  This is what is called a specific intent crime, which means if the defendant did not purposely destroy the property, but rather did it by mistake or without intent, the prosecution cannot prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt, and the defendant is entitled to a not-guilty verdict.

A Michigan MDOP can usually be negotiated down to a lesser charge if the defendant is willing to reimburse the victim for the damage to their property. It's not uncommon for a felony offense to be reduced to a misdemeanor with full restitution to the victim. 

Speak to an experienced Michigan defense attorney about your options. If you believe the property belongs to you rather than the victim, or if you lacked the intent to destroy the property, you may have an excellent defense.

---

Call Me: 248-924-9458

---

The New Rules of Michigan Criminal Defense can be applied to many situations.  One of these situations is an MDOP where allegations are you destroyed the property of another. 

This is where we need to "get out of the box" and even if you believe you actions was justified or "not that bad", you are not the victim in your criminal, so don't act like it, because taking a fixed mindset is how you end up on the wrong side of this type of case. 

By adopting a growth mindset and changing the culture of your case with core values, together we can work toward complex change.  We need to do shareholder mapping of those who would be impacted if you went to jail or left the case with a criminal record, and stakeholder mapping, specifically the owner of the property.  

It's important put a balance sheet together which will help us present everything outside of the 4 corners of the police report; its not fair to be judged on the facts presented by the police, prosecutor and victim.  You have a story to tell, but its your own story, it's not directly challenging their story.  That's what a trial is for, but the most likely and best outcome for you is a mutually agreed upon resolution. 

If we apply the time value of money and create a unique client value chain, we can provide tangible and  measurable rebranding to the stakeholders in your case, and work toward a great outcome. ​