Although you might not think that you're hurting someone's property by spray-painting your initials or a picture on the side of it, the owner of the property could feel differently about it. In fact, the owner – and the police for that matter – might see such an act as vandalism. Vandalism – i.e., the destruction, defacing or harming of someone else's property – is illegal and those who are found guilty of the offense will face various criminal punishments.

If you're not sure what constitutes vandalism under the law, here are a few examples of the crime:

1. Intentionally throwing a rock into a neighbor's window and breaking it
2. Spray-painting the side of a building with your initials or spray-painting your favorite design on a street sign
3. Ripping the picture off a billboard
4. Drawing a mustache and glasses on a poster next to a bus stop
5. Using a permanent marker to draw on a bathroom stall
6. Painting graffiti on a sidewalk

Many who commit the crime of vandalism see themselves as graffiti artists and they might – indeed – be creating beautiful art. To make matters more confusing, some graffiti artists are revered and respected even though they began their art careers as vandals and may even have been arrested and convicted of the crime on multiple occasions. Yes, in many cases the line between art and vandalism can be blurred. Call it what you wish. If you've changed the appearance of someone else's property or in some way harmed the property without permission from the owner, then a criminal court will likely find you guilty of vandalism.

Police in Belvidere say that they arrested an accused a man of drug crimes in a recent narcotics bust. Authorities say that they made a routine traffic stop at the Belvidere Oasis last Sunday, and it later led to the arrest.

The police officer who pulled the man over happened to be a Boone County Sheriff's Department K-9 unit. Shortly after conducting the traffic stop, the sheriff's deputy called for backup from Belvidere/Boone County Metro Narcotics officers. The narcotics officers arrived and assisted with a search and seizure operation.

Police say that the search and seizure produced approximately 190 grams of cocaine, approximately 45 grams of heroin and an unspecified amount of cash. The arrested and accused driver, a 38-year-old man who hails from Madison, has been charged with various drug crimes. These include unlawful possession of drugs with the intent to deliver, which is a Class X felony and punishable with six to 30 years of prison upon conviction. He was also charged with two counts of unlawful possession of drugs, which is a Class 1 felony and punishable with four to 15 years in prison upon conviction.

You have a few drinks at the bar and decide to drive home. On the way there, you notice that your car is running out of gas. You pull into a gas station, fill up and then head into the station to pay.

When you come out, a police officer has stopped at the pump next to yours. You feel nervous, so you go back into the building. Then you realize that looks suspicious, so you go back out and head to your car. The officer says hello to you, and you try to casually say hello back, but you stumble over your words.

You get in the car and turn it on. The officer is still watching you, and suddenly the alcohol hits you a little harder. You put your head down on the steering wheel. The motor is running, but the car is still in park. As you look up, the officer walks over and asks you to get out of the vehicle. You wind up getting arrested for a DUI.

A woman from Muskego who has been convicted of drunk driving five times was recently sentenced to serve a two-year prison term as a result of her fifth drunk driving conviction. The woman was also sentenced to extended supervision for an additional three years.

The incident that led to the woman's most recent OWI conviction happened last Christmas Eve. According to the woman's admission, she drank a "ton" of alcohol that evening because she felt like she wanted to die.

While the woman was in an inebriated state, however, her son came home from his work and called 911. After the son made the call, the woman backed out of the driveway in her vehicle and continued into a culvert on the other side of the street. She was able to free the vehicle and drove away. She soon lost control of the car and struck a tree.

There are too many reasons to name that could result in someone facing criminal allegations. For one, it's hard to keep track of everything that's illegal these days, and one false move could land you facing criminal charges. Secondly, numerous individuals get arrested and accused of crimes they didn't commit. Regardless of your situation, if you're facing criminal charges, it's time to familiarize yourself with the various criminal defense strategies that might apply to your situation.

Here are two common criminal defenses that – depending on the facts and circumstances of your case – might help your situation:

1. The admit and explain story: Using the "admit and explain" defense, a defendant will admit to the physical act the prosecution has accused them of performing. However, the defendant will offer additional explanations to reveal why the action wasn't a crime.