Q: How likely is jail time for a first offense felony property destruction in Minnesota?
My friend got served for felony level property destruction of a vehicle, his court date is coming up and I know he's going to be charged. But how likely is it that will come with jail time?
He poured beer in the oil of a truck and it blew the engine. The friends he was with also did a lot of stuff to the truck and have also been give summons. It was listed as $4500 in damages for his portion alone. One of the friends also ended giving a testimony saying exactly what everyone else damaged. He doesn't appear to be willing to hire a lawyer. They do however have screenshots of the guy saying the quoted damages for his truck were only actually $2000
A: We would need more information to be able to answer that. For example, the question is listed under "federal crimes." Federal crimes are more likely to result in lengthy prison terms that Minnesota state court crimes. When I get a criminal charge dismissed, or an acquittal, my client gets zero jail time. Sometimes we settle cases with a plea agreement where the prosecutor has agreed to no jail time. Even in state court, they can be expected to push harder for at least some jail time in a felony case, as opposed to a misdemeanor case. So it's tough to make predictions with little to go on. But one thing is sure. A defendant will get a better outcome with an experienced criminal defense attorney fighting for them. If he doesn't have a lawyer yet, suggest he pick up his phone and start calling in the morning.
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