Can you be fired for criminal mischief in Texas?

Answer 1

It depends on several factors. The information below explains it in detail: § 28.03. CRIMINAL MISCHIEF. (a) A person commits an

offense if, without the effective consent of the owner:

(1) he intentionally or knowingly damages or destroys

the tangible property of the owner;

(2) he intentionally or knowingly tampers with the

tangible property of the owner and causes pecuniary loss or

substantial inconvenience to the owner or a third person; or

(3) he intentionally or knowingly makes markings,

including inscriptions, slogans, drawings, or paintings, on the

tangible property of the owner.

(b) Except as provided by Subsections (f) and (h), an

offense under this section is:

(1) a Class C misdemeanor if:

(A) the amount of pecuniary loss is less than

$50; or

(B) except as provided in Subdivision (3)(A) or

(3)(B), it causes substantial inconvenience to others;

(2) a Class B misdemeanor if the amount of pecuniary

loss is $50 or more but less than $500;

(3) a Class A misdemeanor if:

(A) the amount of pecuniary loss is:

(i) $500 or more but less than $1,500; or

(ii) less than $1,500 and the actor causes

in whole or in part impairment or interruption of public

communications, public transportation, public gas or power supply,

or other public service, or causes to be diverted in whole, in part,

or in any manner, including installation or removal of any device

for any such purpose, any public communications or public gas or

power supply; or

(B) the actor causes in whole or in part

impairment or interruption of any public water supply, or causes to

be diverted in whole, in part, or in any manner, including

installation or removal of any device for any such purpose, any

public water supply, regardless of the amount of the pecuniary

loss;

(4) a state jail felony if the amount of pecuniary loss

is:

(A) $1,500 or more but less than $20,000;

(B) less than $1,500, if the property damaged or

destroyed is a habitation and if the damage or destruction is caused

by a firearm or explosive weapon; or

(C) less than $1,500, if the property was a fence

used for the production or containment of:

(i) cattle, bison, horses, sheep, swine,

goats, exotic livestock, or exotic poultry; or

(ii) game animals as that term is defined by

Section 63.001, Parks and Wildlife Code;

(5) a felony of the third degree if the amount of the

pecuniary loss is $20,000 or more but less than $100,000;

(6) a felony of the second degree if the amount of

pecuniary loss is $100,000 or more but less than $200,000; or

(7) a felony of the first degree if the amount of

pecuniary loss is $200,000 or more.

(c) For the purposes of this section, it shall be presumed

that a person who is receiving the economic benefit of public

communications, public water, gas, or power supply, has knowingly

tampered with the tangible property of the owner if the

communication or supply has been:

(1) diverted from passing through a metering device;

or

(2) prevented from being correctly registered by a

metering device; or

(3) activated by any device installed to obtain public

communications, public water, gas, or power supply without a

metering device.

(d) The terms "public communication, public transportation,

public gas or power supply, or other public service" and "public

water supply" shall mean, refer to, and include any such services

subject to regulation by the Public Utility Commission of Texas,

the Railroad Commission of Texas, or the Texas Natural Resource

Conservation Commission or any such services enfranchised by the

State of Texas or any political subdivision thereof.

(e) When more than one item of tangible property, belonging

to one or more owners, is damaged, destroyed, or tampered with in

violation of this section pursuant to one scheme or continuing

course of conduct, the conduct may be considered as one offense, and

the amounts of pecuniary loss to property resulting from the damage

to, destruction of, or tampering with the property may be

aggregated in determining the grade of the offense.

(f) An offense under this section is a state jail felony if

the damage or destruction is inflicted on a place of worship or

human burial, a public monument, or a community center that

provides medical, social, or educational programs and the amount of

the pecuniary loss to real property or to tangible personal

property is less than $20,000.

(g) In this section:

(1) "Explosive weapon" means any explosive or

incendiary device that is designed, made, or adapted for the

purpose of inflicting serious bodily injury, death, or substantial

property damage, or for the principal purpose of causing such a loud

report as to cause undue public alarm or terror, and includes:

(A) an explosive or incendiary bomb, grenade,

rocket, and mine;

(B) a device designed, made, or adapted for

delivering or shooting an explosive weapon; and

(C) a device designed, made, or adapted to start

a fire in a time-delayed manner.

(2) "Firearm" has the meaning assigned by Section

46.01.

(3) "Institution of higher education" has the meaning

assigned by Section 61.003, Education Code.

(h) An offense under this section is a state jail felony if

the amount of the pecuniary loss to real property or to tangible

personal property is $1,500 or more but less than $20,000 and the

damage or destruction is inflicted on a public or private

elementary school, secondary school, or institution of higher

education.

(i) Notwithstanding Subsection (b), an offense under this

section is a felony of the first degree if the property is livestock

and the damage is caused by introducing bovine spongiform

encephalopathy, commonly known as mad cow disease, or a disease

described by Section 161.041(a), Agriculture Code. In this

subsection, "livestock" has the meaning assigned by Section

161.001, Agriculture Code.

Answer 2

Criminal mischief committed against WHO? Your employer? If so, then, yes, most certainly. It can also depend on whether are employed in a "right to work" state, or not, - or - if your position is protected by either an employment contract or a collective bargaining agreement.