Breaking and Entering to Paint a Dog?

In a rather interesting news report in the Cape Cod Times, a young man is accused of breaking into a home located in Martha’s Vineyard where he allegedly painted the resident’s dog with purple paint and stole some items from the home. The accused man stands charged with more than a half dozen crimes, including breaking and entering with the intent to commit a felony, cruelty to animals, and possession of several controlled substances.

Breaking and Entering Charges

In Massachusetts, breaking and entering criminal charges are based on whether or not the crime was committed at night or during the day and whether the intent was to commit a felony or a misdemeanor. Breaking and entering involves breaking into and entering a building, vehicle, ship, or vessel for the purpose of committing a crime or breaking into a safe or vault for the purpose of committing a crime. When the breaking and entering occurs at night, the punishment is more severe than when the breaking and entering occurs during the daytime. Similarly, when the breaking and entering was committed with the intent to commit a felony, the punishment is more severe than when the intent was to commit only a misdemeanor offense.

Defending Against Breaking and Entering Charges

Anyone who is facing these charges needs to consult with an experienced Massachusetts criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. Breaking and entering is a serious offense, and a conviction can land you in jail for a long time. It is important that you have an aggressive criminal defense attorney to fight the charges that you are up against. Your lawyer could be able to get the charges reduced, or even dismissed entirely.

There are several defenses that you could possibly raise against a breaking and entering charge in addition to demanding that the prosecution establish each and every element of the crime beyond a reasonable doubt. For instance, if your charges depend on an eyewitness identification that you are the suspected culprit, it may be appropriate to argue the defense of misidentification. You may look similar to the person who actually committed the crime, and it may be difficult to make a clear identification if the breaking and entering occurred at night in poor lighting conditions.

You may also have an alibi for the time when the crime was committed, meaning that you could not possibly have been available to commit the crime when the crime allegedly took place. A skilled and experienced criminal defense lawyer well discuss your situation with you and help you identify any and all possible defenses that you may have available to you.

Contact a Massachusetts Criminal Defense Lawyer

Breaking and entering charges are not something to be taken lightly, and if you are facing these kinds of charges, or any other criminal charges, you need to get in touch with an experienced criminal defense attorney as soon as possible.