Conn. Gen. Stat. » Title 53a — PENAL CODE · Chapter 952 — Penal Code: Offenses
Connecticut General Statutes

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-115 (2026)

Criminal mischief in the first degree: Class D felony

✓ current as of May 2026
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(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.

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Notes of Decisions
Cited in 36 cases (8 in the last 5 years), 1983–2026 · leading case: State v. Parnoff, 186 A.3d 640 (Conn. 2018).
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State v. Parnoff, 186 A.3d 640 (Conn. 2018). · cites it 2× “to 2011) § 53a-62, disorderly conduct, interfering with an officer in violation of General Statutes § 53a-167a, and first degree criminal mischief in violation of General Statutes § 53a-115.”
State v. Francis, 836 A.2d 1191 (Conn. 2003). · cites it 4× “to 1995) § 53a-102 (a), 4 arson in *165 tRe first degree in violation of General Statutes § 53a-111 (a) (l), 5 larceny in the third degree in violation of General Statutes § 53a-124 (a) (l), 6 and criminal mischief in the first degree in violation of General Statutes § 53a-115…”
State v. Velez, 966 A.2d 743 (Conn. App. Ct. 2009). · cites it 4× “The jury found the defendant guilty of murder in violation of General Statutes § 53a-54a, as well as burglary in the first degree in violation of General Statutes § 53a-101 (a) (2) and criminal mischief in the first degree in violation of General Statutes § 53a-115 (a) (1). On…”
State v. Reyes, 160 A.3d 323 (Conn. 2017). · cites it 2× “The defendant, Angelo Reyes, appeals 1 from the judgments of conviction, following a jury trial, of two counts of arson in the second degree in violation of General Statutes § 53a-112(a)(2), two counts of conspiracy to commit criminal mischief in the first degree in violation of…”
State v. Anonymous, 694 A.2d 766 (Conn. 1997). · cites it 4× “is appeal is whether the defendant invoked his right to counsel under the fifth amendment to the federal constitution when he asked the police during custodial interrogation: “Do I still have the right to an attorney?” The *710 defendant was charged with arson in the first…”
State v. Kyle A., 348 Conn. 437 (Conn. 2024). · cites it 2× “See General Statutes § 53a-115 (a) (1). Although the defendant argues that his criminal mischief conviction may have been based solely on the damage he inflicted on his brother’s car and, therefore, would not have been relevant to his intent to commit a crime inside of the…”
State v. Browne, 854 A.2d 13 (Conn. App. Ct. 2004). · cites it 2× “it burglary in the third degree in violation of General Statutes §§ 53a-48 (a) and 53a-103, conspiracy to commit larceny in the third degree in violation of General Statutes §§ 53a-48 (a) and 53a-124, disregarding an officer’s signal by engaging an officer in a pursuit resulting…”
Genesky v. Town of East Lyme, 881 A.2d 114 (Conn. 2005). · cites it 2× “thorized designee of commissioner of environmental protection); General Statutes § 28-1 (5) (definition of “ ‘[cjivil preparedness forces’ ”); General Statutes § 29-154a (1) (qualifications for license as private detective or investigator, watchman, guard or patrol service…”
State v. Strong, 999 A.2d 765 (Conn. App. Ct. 2010). · cites it 3× “, appeals from the judgments of conviction, following a jury trial, of criminal mischief in the first degree in violation of General Statutes § 53a-115 (a) (1), reckless endangerment in the first degree in violation of General Statutes § 53a-63 (a), two counts of threatening in…”
State v. Quintiliano, 206 Conn. App. 712 (Conn. App. Ct. 2021). · cites it 7× “1 General Statutes § 53a-115 provides in relevant part: ‘‘(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…”
State v. Kyle A., 212 Conn. App. 239 (Conn. App. Ct. 2022). · cites it 5× “, appeals from the judgments of conviction, rendered following a jury trial, of burglary in the first degree in violation of General Statutes § 53a-101 (a) (1), criminal mischief in the first degree in violation of General Statutes § 53a-115 (a) (1), threatening in the second…”
State v. DelVecchio, 464 A.2d 813 (Conn. 1983). · cites it 2× “, guilty of two counts of arson in the first degree in violation of General Statutes § 53a-lll (a) (1) and of two counts of criminal mischief in the first degree in violation of General Statutes § 53a-115 (a) (l). 1 He has appealed from the judgment *414 of conviction raising a…”
Show all 36 citing cases →
— Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-115(a) — 1 case
United Prop. & Cas. Ins. Co. v. Carmona (D. Conn. 2022).
— Conn. Gen. Stat. § 53a-115(a)(1) — 2 cases
State v. Reyes, 160 A.3d 323 (Conn. 2017). “The defendant, Angelo Reyes, appeals 1 from the judgments of conviction, following a jury trial, of two counts of arson in the second degree in violation of General Statutes § 53a-112(a)(2), two counts of conspiracy to commit criminal mischief in the first degree in violation of…”
State v. Velez, 966 A.2d 743 (Conn. App. Ct. 2009). “The jury found the defendant guilty of murder in violation of General Statutes § 53a-54a, as well as burglary in the first degree in violation of General Statutes § 53a-101 (a) (2) and criminal mischief in the first degree in violation of General Statutes § 53a-115 (a) (1). On…”
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