Sometimes, arson may seem like a violent crime. If people set fire to an occupied residence, those inside the building are at great risk of injury or death. Other times, arson could potentially have a financial incentive. People may engage in insurance fraud involving arson at a property they own.
Other times, arson could be an impulse crime or the result of bad blood between two people. Someone feeling intense rage might want to take steps that cause distress or financial challenges for another person. They might use fire to achieve that goal.
Can the state prosecute an adult for arson if the fire they allegedly set did not spread to real property?
Malicious burning can involve any type of property
Many of the most serious fire-related property offenses prosecuted in Maryland involve real property. State law defines arson as the intentional act of burning real property or any structures on the property.
However, any use of fire with the malicious intent to damage other people’s resources could lead to criminal prosecution. Maryland’s malicious burning statutes apply to fires set to vehicles and other property.
A jilted romantic partner who piles a cheater’s wardrobe in the driveway and douses it with alcohol before setting it ablaze could potentially face criminal charges. So could people who set fire to vehicles. Any scenario in which the state can credibly assert that one person used fire to destroy property belonging to another person intentionally could lead to criminal prosecution.
Learning more about Maryland’s arson and malicious burning laws can be beneficial for those accused of serious property crimes. In some cases, incidents that look like arson or malicious burning might actually be accidents or could be the fault of another party.