MASSACHUSETTS ARSON DEFENSE LAWYER

DEFENDING ARSON CASES IN MASSACHUSETTS

Start a fire or cause an explosion with the intent of damaging or destroying any vegetation, fence, or structure or any building, habitation or vehicle and you may be charged with arson. Generally, our clients who are charged with arson are property owners hoping to get insurance proceeds, the mentally disabled or juveniles.

The prosecutors aggressively pursue individuals with arson charges. However, all is not lost if you are charged with arson. The law requires the prosecutors to prove certain things before they can get a conviction for arson. Our Massachusetts arson defense attorneys are experienced in defending clients charged with arson. Don't be frightened into pleading guilty. Call us to help you protect your rights and liberty.

The Massachusetts arson defense attorneys also know that uncertainty as to what is happening in your case is extremely stressful. To minimize the stress our client experiences, our firm policy is to do our best to return your calls within eight hours of you calling us. For more information or to make an appointment with SRIS, P.C., please call, send an e-mail or complete the on-line form.

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS OFFICE:
101 Federal Street, Suite 1900
Boston, Massachusetts 02110
Phone: 888-437-7747

Below are some of the different types of the Arson crimes in the State of Massachusetts. Click on the topic to read more about it:

ARSON CRIMES IN THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS

• Dwelling houses; burning or aiding in burning
• Meeting house; burning or aiding in burning
• Attempts
• Woods; wanton or reckless injury or destruction by fire
• Injury by fire; negligent use
• Injury by fire; negligent use in town; damages
• Insured property; burning with intent to defraud
• Fire alarm, engine or apparatus; injury during fire to prevent alarm or extinction of fire

Section 1. Dwelling houses; burning or aiding in burning (top)

Section 1. Whoever willfully 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, or by a fine of not more than ten thousand dollars, or by both such fine and imprisonment. The words “dwelling house”, as used in this section, shall mean and include all buildings used as dwellings such as apartment houses, tenement houses, hotels, boarding houses, dormitories, hospitals, institutions, sanatoria, or other buildings where persons are domiciled.

Section 2. Meeting house; burning or aiding in burning (top)

Section 2. Whoever willfully and maliciously sets fire to, burns, or causes to be burned, or whoever aids, counsels or procures the burning of, a meeting house, church, court house, town house, college, academy, jail or other building which has been erected for public use, or a banking house, warehouse, store, manufactory, mill, barn, stable, shop, outhouse or other building, or an office building, lumber yard, ship, vessel, street car or railway car, or a bridge, lock, dam, flume, tank, or any building or structure or contents thereof, not included or described in the preceding section, whether the same is the property of himself or of another and whether occupied, unoccupied or vacant, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than ten years, or by imprisonment in a jail or house of correction for not more than two and one half years.

Section 5A. Attempts (top)

Section 5A. Whoever willfully and maliciously attempts to set fire to, or attempts to burn, or aids, counsels or assists in such an attempt to set fire to or burn, any of the buildings, structures or property mentioned in the foregoing sections, or whoever commits any act preliminary thereto or in furtherance thereof, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than ten years, or by imprisonment in a jail or house of correction for not more than two and one half years or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars.
The placing or distributing of any flammable, explosive or combustible material or substance or any device in or against any building, structure or property mentioned in the foregoing sections in an arrangement or preparation with intent eventually to willfully and maliciously set fire to or burn such building, structure or property, or to procure the setting fire to or burning of the same shall, for the purposes of this section, constitute an attempt to burn such building, structure or property.

Section 7. Woods; wanton or reckless injury or destruction by fire (top)

Section 7. Whoever by wantonly or recklessly setting fire to any material, or by increasing a fire already set, causes injury to, or the destruction of, any growing or standing wood of another shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than two years.

Section 8. Injury by fire; negligent use (top)

Section 8. Whoever, not being a tenant thereof, sets or increases a fire upon land of another whereby the property of another is injured, or whoever negligently or willfully suffers any fire upon his own land to extend beyond the limits thereof whereby the woods or property of another are injured, shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than two years, and the town where such fire occurred may recover in an action of tort, brought within two years after the cause of action accrues, against any such person the expense of extinguishing such fire.

Section 9. Injury by fire; negligent use in town; damages (top)

Section 9. Whoever, in a town which accepts this section or has accepted corresponding provisions of earlier laws, sets a fire on land which is not owned or controlled by him and before leaving the same neglects to entirely extinguish such fire, or whoever willfully or negligently sets a fire on land which is not owned or controlled by him whereby property is endangered or injured, or whoever willfully or negligently suffers a fire upon his own land to escape beyond the limits thereof to the injury of another, shall be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars or by imprisonment in jail for not more than one month, or both, and shall also be liable for all damages caused thereby. Such fine shall be equally divided between the complainant and the town. This section shall not apply to cities.

Section 10. Insured property; burning with intent to defraud (top)

Section 10. Whoever, willfully and with intent to defraud or injure the insurer, sets fire to, or attempts to set fire to, or whoever causes to be burned, or whoever aids, counsels or procures the burning of, a building, or any goods, wares, merchandise or other chattels, belonging to himself or another, and which are at the time insured against loss or damage by fire, shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than five years or in a jail or house of correction for not more than two and one half years.

Section 12. Fire alarm, engine or apparatus; injury during fire to prevent alarm or extinction of fire (top)

Section 12. Whoever, during the burning of a building or other property, willfully and maliciously cuts or removes a bell rope or a wire or conduit connected with a fire alarm signal system or injures or disables any fire alarm signal box or any part of such system in the vicinity of such building or property, or otherwise prevents an alarm being given, or whoever cuts, injures or destroys an engine, hose or other fire apparatus, in said vicinity, or otherwise willfully and maliciously prevents or obstructs the extinction of a fire shall be punished by imprisonment in the state prison for not more than seven years or in jail for not more than two and one half years or by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars.