Justia Lawyer Rating
10 Best, Attorney Client Satisfaction Badge from the American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys
Top 100 Trial Lawyers Badge from The National Trial Lawyers
Top 100 Badge from America's Top 100 Criminal Defense Attorneys
NADC
Avoo Rating, 10.0 Scott Grabel
Top 10, Attorney and Practice Magazine's, Criminal Defense Law Firm

Arson

In Michigan, arson is the deliberate burning of a house or building. The punishment for being convicted of an arson crime often depends on the intent behind the act, the amount of damage done, and whether or not someone was seriously injured or killed.

Are You being Charged or Investigated for Arson in Michigan? Our Attorneys are Ready to Fight Aggressively for You

Regardless of how "harmless" you might think setting even a small fire is, arson is always considered a very serious crime because the potential for substantial loss of life and property exists. You need an aggressive experienced defense team on your side as early as possible to ensure a full and thorough investigation is conducted on your behalf. Our attorneys are skilled in dealing with overzealous police and insurance fraud investigators who are quick to judge a fire as suspicious. Our firm utilizes only the most respected experts in the field of arson investigation forensics to offer evidence that a fire was accidental as opposed to intentionally set.          

Types of Arson Charges In Michigan

The state of Michigan distinguishes among three types of arson:

  • Arson involving houses;
  • Arson involving "other real property"; and
  • Arson involving personal property.

The above distinctions may seem fairly meaningless, and in reality, there are basically two types of arson that the Michigan legal system deals with: insurance fraud and malicious arson cases in which someone purposely destroys property without intending to collect on insurance.

Arson and Insurance Fraud in Michigan

Many cases of arson, especially in economically depressed areas of Michigan, stem from attempted insurance fraud: the owner of a house or building discovers that his insurance payout in the case of a fire is more than the property is worth, and he/she either sets fire to the property himself/herself, or hires someone to set an "accidental" fire.

Michigan authorities investigate the cause of most fires, but it's often independent investigators working on behalf of insurance companies, who will find conclusive evidence of arson if it took place. Insurance companies are businesses and look for reasons not to pay on claims: for this reason they are often even more aggressive than authorities in looking for evidence to support an arson charge.

If someone sets a fire to collect in insurance they can be charged with more than one crime: one for arson and another for insurance fraud.

Malicious Arson

The other type of arson is not driven by the hope of financial gain by destroying property. Malicious arson is when a person deliberately sets some type of property or structure on fire such as a house or building, either because there was some dispute with the owner of the property or the arsonist is just trying to wreak random damage. For example, a group of teenagers who burn down an abandoned building because it seemed like a good idea at the time may not have meant any true harm but still committed a crime.

Michigan Arson Lawyer

Any type of malicious arson can result in the injury or death of residents whether or not it is intentional, because fires can easily grow out of control. People who set fires can face serious charges and criminal penalties whether or not they intended to harm someone else.

Murder Charges Stemming From An Arson Crime

If an act of arson, no matter what the motivation, results in the injury or death of any person, the perpetrator will certainly face additional charges of murder or assault. What many would-be arsonists fail to realize is that this provision also applies to firefighters and other emergency personnel. Burning down an abandoned, unoccupied building may seem like a victimless crime, but fires have to be put out; and if a firefighter dies while attempting to extinguish an intentionally set fire, the arsonist will be charged with murder as well.

Depending on the charge, an arson conviction could put you in jail for as long as 20 years. If an arson crime results in the deliberate death or serious injury of another person, the penalties include up to life in prison.

Prosecutors and Insurance Companies Will Try to Make You Look Guilty-Our Dedicated Team of  Attorneys Can Help You Avoid a Criminal Conviction

Our goal is always to achieve the very best case results for our clientele.  If you have been charged with any type of arson, you need a seasoned lawyer from Grabel & Associates at your side. Arson can be a notoriously difficult crime to prove, and our attorneys will aggressively fight to rebut, or contradict, the evidence gathered by the police or insurance investigator. Our lawyers are extremely skilled in achieving a favorable outcome, especially if the crime resulted in no injuries or deaths and the property damage was fairly minor.

For a free consultation to discuss how an arson lawyer from Grabel & Associates can help you, call us toll-free at 1-800-342-7896, or you can use the contact form on this website to email our law firm.

Client Reviews

★★★★★
If you are reading these reviews you are about to make a decision that will have a large impact on the rest of your life. I choose Grabel and Associates to represent me in my case and I could not have been more satisfied with the level of professionalism and dedication to their clients. I had the opportunity to meet and work with multiple lawyers in the practice all of which showcased a vast knowledge and understanding of the inner workings of the legal system. When you choose Scott Grabel to represent you will open yourself up to all of his resources. Depending on your case Grabel knows experts in all fields. I worked with polygraph examiners, investigators, and forensics experts. Grabel and Associates will defend without prejudice of innocence or guilt. Scott Grabel was able to lead me through every step of the process with great communication the whole way. I would recommend Scott Grabel and Associates to my friends, family and anyone who is in need of representation. B. A.
★★★★★
Best attorney in state of Michigan. Caring and a true friend. Scott was with us every step of the way. He fought for a great injustice for our son and was able to provide an outcome that gave his life back. L. A.
★★★★★
Scott and his firm did an awesome job representing a family member of mine, I would highly recommend him and his firm! They were extremely reliable, trustworthy and very informative and did a great job with the case. I couldn't be happier with the results that we received, I can't speak highly enough about the great job he did. If you are thinking about using his firm, I would highly recommend, I would definitely use his firm again if needed, he is an a great attorney with a great firm, you won't be disappointed! M. F.