Property+Offenses+-+Period+1

It is considered a felony in the first degree if a person intentionally starts a fire/causes an explosion, or if he helps, pays, or agrees to pay another person to start a fire/cause an explosion. The property can be his, or another person’s property. He can also be charged with a felony in the first degree if he puts a firefighter, police officer, or other person fighting the fire in danger. Or, if the person does the act with the intent of destroying or damaging an occupied building/structure. A person that commits arson could be charged with murder in the second degree if the fire/explosion causes the death of any person. This is not limited to but includes a firefighter, police officer, or other person engaged in fighting the fire. The arsonist could be charged with murder in the first degree if the fire/explosion causes the death of any person and the fire/explosion was set with the purpose of causing the death of another person. A person that is convicted with murder in the first degree could be sentenced to death or life in prison without parole. A person that is convicted of murder in the second degree could be sentenced to life in prison without parole. When an arsonist is endangering property, he could be charged with a felony in the second degree if he intentionally start a fire/cause an explosion, whether the property that is targeted is his own or another, or if he helps, pays, or plans to pay someone else to start a fire/cause an explosion on the property. He could also be charged with a felony in the second degree if he commits the act with the intent of destroying/damaging a building/unoccupied structure, he recklessly places an inhabited building or occupied structure in danger of damage/destruction, or he commits the act with the intent to destroy/damage any property to collect insurance. An arsonist can be charged with a felony of the third degree if he intentionally starts a fire/causes an explosion or helps, pays, or plans to pay someone else to start a fire/cause an explosion on his own property or someone else’s. He could also be charged with a felony in the third degree if he places an uninhabited building or unoccupied structure of another in danger of damage/destruction, places any personal property of another having value that is over $5,000 or if the property is an automobile, airplane, motorcycle, motorboat, or other motor-propelled vehicle in danger of damage/destruction. A person could be charged with a summary offense if he intentionally/recklessly starts a fire to endanger a person/another person’s property. A person that knows that a fire is endangering the life of another person/another person’s property and fails to try to put out/control the fire, when he can put out/control the fire without risking his own life or safety, he can be charged with a misdemeanor in the first degree.
 * __Arson, Criminal Mischief and Other Property Destruction:__ **

John is angry with his girlfriend because he is suspicious of her cheating on him. So, he calls one of his friends, Charlie, to help him to “get even with his girlfriend.” Charlie goes over late at night to John’s girlfriend’s house and sets the home on fire with John’s girlfriend inside. Charlie had the intent to kill her. John’s girlfriend ends up passing away in the hospital due to her burns. John gets charged with a felony in the first degree for paying Charlie to set his girlfriend’s house on fire.
 * __Scenario #1:__ **

A person commits first degree if they are in a building or place that they are not licensed or privileged to be at. For it to become second degree a person must break into a building or occupied structure. By break into, it means that they gained entry by using force, intimidation, picked locks, or gains entry through a non-human designed entrypoint. For it to be third degree a person must gain entry or remain in any occupied structure or separately secured building. The charging for first degree is jail for no more than 20 years. The charging for second degree is no more than 10 years. The charging for third degree is no more than seven years.
 * __Criminal Trespass__ **

So a boy breaks into a building and is living there unsupervised. He is then found by the building security, who then notifies the police. This boy is taken down to the police station and booked. He is charged with second degree criminal trespassing.
 * __Scenario #2:__ **


 * __Forgery and Fraudulent Practices__ **

 A person is guilty of forgery if they have the intent to injure anyone, or with knowledge that he is facilitating a fraud or injury to be perpetrated by anyone, the actor, alters any writing of another without his authority. Makes, completes, or executes issues or transfers any writing so that it comes off to be the act of another who did not authorize that specific act, or to have been executed at a time or place or in a numbered sequence other than the fact of the case, or to be a copy of the original when no original copy even existed. Or when he utters any writing which he knows to be forced in a manner.
 * __Offense defined:__ **

Forgery is a felony of the second degree if the writing is or comes off to be the part of an issue of money, securities, postage or revenue stamps, or other instruments issued by the government, or part of an issue of stock, bonds or other instruments representing interests in or claims against anything. If the writing is or comes off to be a will, deed, contract, release, commercial instrument, or other document evidencing, creating, transferring, altering, terminating, or otherwise affecting legal relation. In other words to sum it all up, forgery is a misdemeanor of the first degree.
 * __Grading:__ **

A group of teenage boys tore down the fence in front of the Brown’s house. They then poured gasoline around the house and on the trees and set everything on and around the house on fire committing arson. He then go into the house and shoots everyone in sight, but the mother got away and went to the neighbor’s house and called the police. After shooting everyone, he forged a check for $10 million in his mother’s name. 3 hours later, the police shows up and arrest everyone at the scene.
 * __Scenario #3__ **

1. A young adult breaks into a house and sets it on fire. What are the charges? Explain your reasoning for each charge.
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline;">__“Hot” Questions:__ **

2. Larry enters a bar and is creeping and living there. He is living there without the owners consent and one night a fire started and it was unknown what started the fire. So what are the charges? Explain your charges.

<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">A 13 year old boy is facing charges for setting a North Codorus Township home on fire. He is facing a charge of arson. They searched the area for the teen but weren’t able to find him. He was picked up by a citizen along a road in Seven Valleys. He is currently sitting in a Lancaster juvenile center awaiting court. He is facing charges of arson, criminal mischief, and reckless endangerment. <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">http://www.whptv.com/news/local/story/York-County-Teen-Accused-of-Arson/DSvUIaW06UKYsR66sISRnA.cspx
 * <span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000000; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Local Example: **