(a) A person is guilty of criminal mischief in the first degree when: (1) With intent to cause damage to tangible property of another and having no reasonable ground to believe that such person has a right to do so, such person damages tangible property of another in an amount exceeding one thousand five hundred dollars, or (2) with intent to cause an interruption or impairment of service rendered to the public and having no reasonable ground to believe that such person has a right to do so, such person damages or tampers with tangible property of a utility or mode of public transportation, power or communication, and thereby causes an interruption or impairment of service rendered to the public, or (3) with intent to cause damage to any electronic monitoring equipment owned or leased by the state or its agent and required as a condition of probation or conditional discharge pursuant to section 53a-30, as a condition of release pursuant to section 54-64a or as a condition of community release pursuant to section 18-100c, and having no reasonable ground to believe that such person has a right to do so, such person damages such electronic monitoring equipment and thereby causes an interruption in its ability to function, or (4) with intent to cause an interruption or impairment of service rendered to the public and having no reasonable ground to believe that such person has a right to do so, such person damages or tampers with (A) any tangible property owned by the state, a municipality or a person for fire alarm or police alarm purposes, (B) any telecommunication system operated by the state police or a municipal police department, (C) any emergency medical or fire service dispatching system, (D) any fire suppression equipment owned by the state, a municipality, a person or a fire district, or (E) any fire hydrant or hydrant system owned by the state or a municipality, a person, a fire district or a private water company, or (5) with intent to cause damage to tangible property owned by the state or a municipality that is located on public land and having no reasonable ground to believe that such person has a right to do so, such person damages such tangible property in an amount exceeding one thousand five hundred dollars.

(b) Criminal mischief in the first degree is a class D felony.

(1969, P.A. 828, S. 117; 1971, P.A. 871, S. 21; P.A. 83-330, S. 1; P.A. 92-260, S. 48; P.A. 00-141, S. 4; P.A. 01-8; P.A. 05-234, S. 4.)

History: 1971 act added Subsec. (a)(3) re tampering with fire or police alarms; P.A. 83-330 amended Subsec. (a)(3) to designate damaging or tampering with fire or police alarms as Subpara. (A) and to add Subparas. (B) to (E) re damaging or tampering with telecommunication systems, emergency medical or fire service dispatching systems, fire suppression equipment and fire hydrants or hydrant systems; P.A. 92-260 made technical changes in Subsec. (a); P.A. 00-141 amended Subsec. (a) by making technical changes, adding new Subdiv. (3) re intentional damage to electronic monitoring equipment and redesignating former Subdiv. (3) as Subdiv. (4); P.A. 01-8 amended Subsec. (a)(3) to include damage to electronic monitoring equipment required as a condition of community release pursuant to Sec. 18-100c; P.A. 05-234 added Subsec. (a)(5) re damage to tangible property owned by the state or a municipality located on public land in an amount exceeding $1,500, effective January 1, 2006.

See Sec. 53a-44a re surcharge on fine for criminal mischief on public land.

Cited. 191 C. 412; 197 C. 326; 240 C. 708.

Cited. 29 CA 59; 46 CA 118.

Cited. 39 CS 400.