What other states often call “vandalism,” Oklahoma calls “malicious mischief.” While “mischief” is a term that a lot of people associate with childish pranks, the reality is that many “pranks” can actually be criminal offenses.
That’s something that many people don’t realize – particularly if they’re young and simply caught up in a moment or following a group. What one person may consider nothing more than a petty prank or a minor act of revenge can be a serious crime. Here are a few that you need to consider.
Throwing trash out your window on the highway
People do it all the time (even if they feel guilty about it). They’re in a hurry and they don’t want to finish their coffee, so they toss the whole cup out the window and figure a road crew will eventually clean it up. Littering the highway with your trash can result in a $1,000 fine and up to 20 hours of community service if you happen to be observed in the act by a police officer.
Stealing a road sign for your wall art
Maybe the name of a street struck you as funny, or maybe you just like the idea of collecting road signs for your dorm room walls. Stealing those signs can get you into serious trouble. The charges could be more than mere malicious mischief is someone gets hurt because of a missing stop sign or other marker.
Tearing pages out of a library book
Maybe you wanted to frame a poem or you are tearing pages out of a book in sheer frustration or to make a point – but that’s a bad idea. Defacing, tearing or destroying books, maps, works of literature or art and other objects on display in a public library are protected by law from harm.
If you or your child has been accused of malicious mischief, don’t treat this as a trivial matter or a prank that got out of control. It’s smart to seek legal guidance.