Can Sam be charged with criminal mischief for shooting a hole in the TV?

Charging Sam with criminal mischief for shooting a hole in the TV is justified because criminal mischief generally involves the intentional or knowing damage to someone else's property. The action of shooting a hole in the TV indicates a deliberate act that results in property damage, fulfilling the criteria for such a charge.

Even if the property is shared, the act of willfully damaging it can still lead to potential liability under criminal mischief laws, as the intent behind the action matters more than the ownership of the property in this context. The law aims to protect individuals from intentional damage to their property, and shooting a television clearly represents an intentional act that causes destruction, aligning with the legal definitions of criminal mischief.

Factors like whether the damage was an accident or the value of the TV, while relevant in some situations, do not negate the applicability of criminal mischief when damage is intentionally inflicted.