{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-512.020","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 512.020","heading":"Criminal mischief in the first degree.","body":"(1) A person is guilty of criminal mischief in the first degree when:\n(a) Having no right to do so or any reasonable ground to believe that he or she\nhas such right, he or she intentionally or wantonly:\n1. Defaces, destroys, or damages any property causing pecuniary loss of\nfive hundred dollars ($500) or more;\n2. Damages, possesses, or tampers with the operations of a key\ninfrastructure asset, as defined in KRS 511.100, in a manner that renders\nthe asset inoperable, in whole or in part, or renders the operation of the\nasset harmful or dangerous;\n3. As a tenant, defaces, destroys, or damages residential rental property\ncausing pecuniary loss of five hundred dollars ($500) or more; or\n4. As a squatter, defaces, destroys, or damages real property causing\npecuniary loss of five hundred dollars ($500) or more; or\n(b) He or she violates KRS 367.628(2)(a).\n(2) Criminal mischief in the first degree is a Class D felony, unless:\n(a) The offense occurs during a declared emergency as defined by KRS 39A.020\narising from a natural or man -made disaster, within the area covered by the\nemergency declaration, and within the area impacted by the disaster, in which\ncase it is a Class C felony;\n(b) For the first offense, if the defendant at any time prior to trial effects repair or\nreplacement of the defaced, destroyed, or damaged property, makes complete\nrestitution in the amount of the damage, or performs community service as\nrequired by the co urt, in which case it is a Class B misdemeanor. The court\nshall determine the number of hours of community service commensurate\nwith the total amount of monetary damage caused by or incidental to the\ncommission of the crime, of not less than sixty (60) hours; or\n(c) For the second or subsequent offense, if the defendant at any time prior to trial\neffects repair or replacement of the defaced, destroyed, or damaged property,\nmakes complete restitution in the amount of the damage, or performs\ncommunity service  as required by the court, in which case it is a Class A\nmisdemeanor. The court shall determine the number of hours of community\nservice commensurate with the total amount of monetary damage caused by\nor incidental to the commission of the crime, of not less than sixty (60) hours.","path":["KRS Chapter 512"],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=57397","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T21:00:02Z","sha256":"6fa01754e2e97fb9373c79157a86f2b717be891bbb596944a354b4ccb3c3553f","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-512.010","next":"us-ky/krs-512.030"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}