In Louisiana, there are four main arson charges: aggravated, intent to injure, simple, and arson with the intent to defraud. All four crimes involve the intentional burning of a building or other property (like a car or boat). Arson involves the purposeful creation of fires using flame and acceleration and/or the use of explosives. Criminal penalties will depend on the intent proven, the extent of damage caused, whether persons were endangered and/or threatened with harm, and whether harm or death occurred. In terms of intent, there can be several possible intents. Was the intent to destroy property, intent to harm another human being, intent to defraud, intent to commit some other crime where a fire started, etc.? If you are arrested and charged with arson, contact an experienced Shreveport criminal defense attorney at the Law Offices of Philip B. Adams. Below is a discussion of the main arson crimes in Louisiana.
Aggravated arson -- La. Rev. Stat, §14.51 Aggravated arson is the most serious of the arson criminal charges. The criminal elements that must be proven by the Louisiana government prosecutors for aggravated arson are
If convicted, the criminal defendant will face a sentence of incarceration at hard labor from six to twenty years and a fine of up to $25,000. Injury by arson -- La. Rev. Stat, §14.51.1 For the crime of injury by arson, the criminal elements that must be proven by the Louisiana government prosecutors are
If convicted, the criminal defendant will face a sentence of incarceration at hard labor from six to twenty years and a fine of up to $25,000. Simple arson -- La. Rev. Stat, §14.52 Simple arson can be proven in two ways. The first method involves proving the following elements:
Or:
If convicted, the criminal defendant will face a sentence of incarceration at hard labor for up to fifteen years and a fine of up to $15,000 if the value of the property destroyed is more than $500. If the property destroyed has a value of less than $500, then the person convicted faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $2,500. Arson with intent to defraud -- La. Rev. Stat, §14.52 The elements are:
If convicted, the criminal defendant will face a sentence of incarceration for up to five years and a fine of up to $10,000 Contact A Louisiana Criminal Defense Attorney Today For more information, contact the Law Offices of Philip B. Adams today. We are relentless and aggressive Louisiana criminal defense lawyers. Complete our "Contact Us" page here. You may significantly benefit by having an attorney with legal competence and experience assist you with your Louisiana criminal case. We have offices in Shreveport and handle criminal defense cases throughout all of Louisiana. Comments are closed.
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