Arson is a very serious crime. The law defines arson as deliberately and maliciously setting fire to structures or wild land areas. Frequently fires are set to the property of another or to one’s own property in an endeavor to collect insurance compensation.

If you are accused of arson in Virginia, Maryland or Massachusetts, contact the SRIS Law Group arson defense attorneys for help.

Our arson defense lawyers in Virginia, Maryland & Massachusetts have defended numerous clients charged with arson.

The following are some of the laws in VA, MD & MA: 

• Va. Code Ann. § 18.2-77. Burning or destroying dwelling house, etc

A. If any person maliciously (i) burns, or by use of any explosive device or substance destroys, in whole or in part, or causes to be burned or destroyed, or (ii) aids, counsels or procures the burning or destruction of any dwelling house or manufactured home whether belonging to himself or another, or any occupied hotel, hospital, mental health facility, or other house in which persons usually dwell or lodge, any occupied railroad car, boat, vessel, or river craft in which persons usually dwell or lodge, or any occupied jail or prison, or any occupied church or occupied building owned or leased by a church that is immediately adjacent to a church, he shall be guilty of a felony, punishable by imprisonment for life or for any period not less than five years and, subject to subdivision g of § 18.2-10, a fine of not more than $ 100,000.

Any person who maliciously sets fire to anything, or aids, counsels or procures the setting fire to anything, by the burning whereof such occupied dwelling house, manufactured home, hotel, hospital, mental health facility or other house, or railroad car, boat, vessel, or river craft, jail or prison, church or building owned or leased by a church that is immediately adjacent to a church, is burned shall be guilty of a violation of this subsection.

B. Any such burning or destruction when the building or other place mentioned in subsection A is unoccupied, shall be punishable as a Class 4 felony.

Arson-crime

Click on above link to read more. 

• Md. CRIMINAL LAW Code Ann. § 6-102.

Arson in the first degree.

(a)  Prohibited.- A person may not willfully and maliciously set fire to or burn:

(1) a dwelling; or

(2) a structure in or on which an individual who is not a participant is present.

(b)  Penalty.- A person who violates this section is guilty of the felony of arson in the first degree and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding 30 years or a fine not exceeding $50,000 or both.

Click on above link to read more.

• ALM GL ch. 266, § 1

Whoever wilfully and maliciously sets fire to, burns, or causes to be burned, or whoever aids, counsels or procures the burning of, a dwelling house, or a building adjoining or adjacent to a dwelling house, or a building by the burning whereof a dwelling house is burned, whether such dwelling house or other building is the property of himself or another and whether the same is occupied or unoccupied, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than twenty years, or by imprisonment in a jail or house of correction for not more than two and one half years.

Click on above link to read more.