Arson In California
Thursday by: Doreen
Arson is very serious
Arson is a very serious crime, and can even carry the death penalty in the state of California under certain circumstances. These include, but are not limited to:
- When the arson causes death to one or more individuals, including emergency personnel
- Under California’s Three Strikes Law, when there are mitigating factors such as malice aforethought
In June of this year, a 38-year old man was sentenced to death for arson, since his blaze resulted in the tragic death of five heroic firefighters. The same man was believed to be guilty of setting numerous other fires, with no other deaths. Sadly, the man claimed to be acting out against law enforcement after authorities seized and euthanized his pet pitbull under unknown circumstances.
Earlier this year, arson was also blamed for some of the wildfires that destroyed homes and cost lives. Nearly 150,000 acres were burned in one blaze that resulted in the deaths of two firefighters attempting to escape the blaze. In addition, it costs the state of California millions of dollars to fight each wildfire, and thousands or hundreds of thousands to combat arson on a smaller scale.
According to California’s arson laws stated in 451.1: “Notwithstanding any other law, any person who is convicted of a felony violation of Section 451 shall be punished by a three-, four-, or five-year enhancement…” under most circumstances. The punishment is much more severe, obviously, when death, serious injury, or overwhelming property/monetary loss occurs.
Whether you are the one accused of committing the arson or someone who aided/abetted said arsonist, you can be punished very severely for this crime in the state of California. It is vital that you seek counsel from an attorney who understands arson laws and can begin building your defense. It may be possible to get the charges dropped or reduced, and, with California’s strict Three Strikes Laws, it has never been more crucial to avoid getting a strike.
If you or someone you care about has been charged with the crime of arson, aiding/abetting an arsonist, or a similar crime, please contact the skilled attorneys at the Law Offices of Rizio and Nelson. We are here to help you twenty-four hours a day and seven days a week. Call today and schedule your free initial consultation.
