Florida law defines arson as:
(1) Any person who willfully and unlawfully, or while in the commission
of any felony, by fire or explosion, damages or causes to be damaged:
(a)Any dwelling, whether occupied or not, or its contents;
(b)Any structure, or contents there of where persons are normally present,
such as: jails, prisons, or detention centers; hospitals, nursing homes,
or other health care facilities; department's to res, office buildings,
business a establishments, churches, or educational intuitions during
normal hours of occupancy; or other similar structures; or
(c) Any other structure that he or she knew or had reasonable grounds to
believe was occupied by a human being,
Is guilty of a felony in the first degree.
(2) Any person who willfully and unlawfully, or while in the commission
of any felony, by fire or explosion, damages or causes to be damaged any
structure, whether the property of himself or herself or another, under
any circumstances not referred to in subsection (1), us guilty of arson
in the second degree, which constitutes a felony of the second degree.
Arson is the intentional act of burning a structure or the contents therein.
It is a first-degree felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison.
The Law Offices of Eric M. Matheny, P.A. is a
criminal defense firm that serves the Miami-Dade and Broward areas. If you or a loved one
are in need of a
criminal defense attorney,
call Attorney Eric Matheny for a free consultation.