Imagine this: you are a juror in a Greeley or Weld County Trial for an Arson case. After hearing all the testimony presented by the prosecutor and defense, it is time for closing arguments. As the defense attorney begins speaking about why you should find his client not guilty of Arson, smoke begins to billow out of his pants. The defense lawyer flees from the courtroom, returning later and stating that his e-cigarette battery was faulty and spontaneously combusted. You may find this story far-fetched, but it actually happened just days ago. Now, the defense attorney claims it was an accident, but it seems quite odd that his client’s defense was that he did not intentionally set his car on fire, but that it spontaneously combusted. Quite coincidental, don’t you think? Unfortunately, accident or not, it did not seem to sway the jury as the man was found guilty of Arson.
Weld County Third Degree Arson Lawyer: Can You Set Fire to Your Own Car?
The Colorado law definition of 3rd Degree Arson – C.R.S. 18-4-104 – is:
Since the man was accused of setting fire to his own car, most likely to collect some insurance pay out, he would be facing Third Degree Arson charges in Weld, Morgan, or Logan County, Colorado.
Greeley 3rd Degree Arson Lawyer: What is the Sentence for Third Degree Arson?
As a class 4 felony in Greeley, Erie, and Evans, Arson in the Third Degree is punishable by 2 to 6 years in the Colorado Department of Corrections and up to $500,000 in fines. Not only that, but any attempt to defraud an insurance company or another business or entity could result in further criminal charges for Fraud. It would also open a person up to civil litigation, which could be very expensive.
If you or someone you love has been charged with Third Degree Arson, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact the best Greeley criminal defense attorneys from the O’Malley Law Office at 970-616-6009 today. Together, we can protect your future.
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