Arson, also called burning a dwelling house, is a serious crime that carries the possibility of a state prison sentence, with a maximum penalty of twenty years. Concord arson defense attorney Chris Spring is ready to defend you if you have been charged with such crimes. Call (617) 513-9444 to speak with Attorney Spring today.
In order to convict a defendant of arson, the Commonwealth must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that:
A defendant can also be convicted for intentionally aiding the burning of a dwelling house. A dwelling house is any place where people live. Dwelling houses include tenement buildings, boarding houses, dormitories, hospitals, hotels, duplexes, apartments, and single-family homes.
Because arson cases require that the defendant acted maliciously in burning the building, the defendant typically faces additional crimes such as civil rights violations or intimidation of a witness.
Arson cases can be defended in a variety of ways.
These cases usually involve extensive investigations by the police and fire departments. Determining the cause of a fire involves analysis by experts who consider a variety of factors including the presence of accelerants, burn patterns, and the origin of the fire. To rebut the Commonwealth’s expert witness, defendants charged with arson often hire their own experts to analyze the crime scene and offer their own opinions about the cause of the fire.
Prosecutors and judges typically take arson cases seriously because of their potential to cause people to be seriously injured (even if there were no victims in the case being prosecuted). They are often highly technical cases that necessitate expert witness testimony. Attorney Chris Spring’s career, both as an assistant district attorney and a defense lawyer, has given him the experience to aggressively defend arson cases. If you are charged with arson, you should contact Concord arson lawyer Chris Spring and schedule a free consultation. Attorney Spring has the necessary experience to guide you through the criminal justice system and present your side of the story to a jury regardless of whether you were accused of disorderly conduct or perjury. As with any crime, you should never speak to the police before first consulting with a Middlesex County criminal defense attorney to explore all of your options.