Should petty acts of vandalism constitute a Class C misdemeanor irrespective of whether they cause monetary loss or substantial inconvenience to the property owner? For example, should toilet papering a house, rearranging yard displays, writing on
windows with white shoe polish, and the like be penalized or are these types of activities essentially harmless pranks not sufficiently worthy of state protection?
PRO: Juvenile vandalism can be a big problem, depending on the community. A Class C misdemeanor, as a fine only offense, could be enforced against juveniles. Likewise, a police officer who comes upon such an incident would have lawful grounds for stopping the behavior; current law of criminal mischief creates ambiguity due to the substantial inconvenience requirement. Currently there is little to deter such vandalism, even though it may be an annoyance to the home owner.
CON: Not every act of undesirable social behavior constitutes a criminal offense. These petty acts do not rise to the level where a state sanction is appropriate. Indeed, such a statute might well create a criminal record in children who are simply engaging in immature behavior.
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