One area of criminal defense in Indianapolis, IN,covers property crimes. These crimes include theft and destruction to a property, and they can range from low-level offenses such as vandalism or shoplifting, to high-level felonies such as arson or armed robbery.
Defining Property Crimes
Some crimes, such as burglary, do not even require that an offender steals property or harm a person during the activity. Burglary, instead, only requires that the offender unlawfully enters a property with the intention of committing a crime. Other property crimes require the actual taking of goods or money.
Some crimes, such as robbery, require that a victim is present during the offense. However, most of the crimes are based on certain factors that determine the severity of the punishment. For example, in the cases involving theft, criminal defense attorneys normally have to look at how much was stolen, or if there was any use of arms or force. In property destruction crimes, such as arson, they often have to review what bodily injuries resulted from the crime.
Crimes Involving Theft and Property Damage
Property crimes include theft, larceny, burglary, robbery, shoplifting, arson, and vandalism. In the case of larceny, the offender takes something of worth without consent and with the intention to permanently deprive the owner of the object.
Burglary, on the other hand, is unlawful access into a closed structure or home, frequently by coercion or force. The perpetrator often burglarizes a building with the intent of stealing property or committing another crime.
In the case of robbery, the offender uses threats or force, such as pointing a revolver at a cashier or teller and demanding cash, to take property or money from another person. Shoplifting is the concealment or theft of a product or items from a store without the intent to purchase them.
In the case of arson, the offender burns a structure, woods, or building. If the intent is to defraud an insurance company or cause bodily injury, more serious charges are involved. Vandalism, a less serious offense, includes the defacing or degradation of a property. For further information about these kinds of crimes, visit the criminal defense site of online.
