Arson

A person is guilty of arson if he starts, causes, or maintains a fire or explosion on the property of another with the intent to damage or destroy property thereon; or on his own property or the property of another.

(1) with the intent to enable any person to collect insurance proceeds for the loss caused by the fire or explosion; or

(2) which recklessly endangers any person or the property of another.

Arson is a class A offense punishable by a maximum of 40 years prison and a fine of $50,000.00.  Arson is an extremely serious charge.  Oftentimes, Arson is charged in conjunction with murder or manslaughter when it involves a dwelling.  These cases are extremely difficult and expensive to defend as an arson expert is a necessary component to the defense of the case.  The state will have a whole host of experts and a crime lab to back them up.  You’re going to need a reliable defense team if you want to stand a chance of securing an acquittal.

Burglary

A person is guilty of burglary if that person enters or surreptitiously remains in a structure knowing that that person is not licensed or privileged to do so, with the intent to commit a crime therein. Violation of this paragraph is a Class C crime, which is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a $5,000.00 fine.

If a person commits burglary while armed with a firearm, that is a class A crime, which is punishable by up to 40 years in prison and a $50,000.00 fine.  If a person commits a burglary and intentionally or recklessly inflicts bodily harm on a person during commission of the crime or is armed with a weapon other than a firearm, the offense is a class B crime.  If the structure entered is a home or dwelling, the crime is a class B offense.

Criminal Trespass

A person is guilty of criminal trespass if that person enters a structure that is locked or barred or remains in any place after receipt of a lawful order to leave.  Criminal Trespass cases are normally class E offense, which carry a maximum penalty of 6 months jail and a $1,000.00 fine.

Criminal Mischief

A person is guilty of criminal mischief if he or she damages or destroys the property of another, having no reasonable grounds to believe that the person has a right to do so; damages or destroys property to enable any person to collect insurance proceeds for the loss caused; or tampers with the property of another, having no reasonable grounds to believe that the person has the right to do so, and thereby impairs the use of that property.

Criminal mischief is a class D offense and carries a maximum penalty of 364 days in jail and a fine of $2,000.00.