We Can FightIf you’ve been charged with arson in Southern California, you need the assistance of an experienced criminal defense lawyer who is skilled in defending clients against dubious claims and urban legends. Unqualified “experts” in fire continue to utilize antiquated beliefs about arson to imprison innocent people. Don’t let this happen to you. Make sure to get a criminal defense lawyer with experience who will fight for you if you’ve been charged with arson. For assistance right away, dial Chambers Law Firm at 714-760-4088.
What is arson?
The deliberate, malicious, or careless burning of any building, plot of land, or other piece of property is referred to as arson in California. You might also be charged with homicide if someone was hurt or killed in the fire. If the fire damaged more than $6.5 million in property, it injured at least five occupied buildings, or you have been convicted of arson within the previous ten years, you may be found guilty of aggravated arson.
Arson is more serious than simply forgetting to turn off the burner. It must either be done on purpose or recklessly, like flicking a cigarette into dry grass. Normally, unless you intentionally set fire to your own property in order to obtain insurance money, you cannot be found guilty of arson.
“Junk science” and arson
Forensic science is frequently used in arson investigations to establish that a fire was started on purpose. But a lot of people are unaware that forensic science is always evolving. In our daily lives, we encounter evidence of how technology evolves and becomes obsolete.
Additionally, many other scientific disciplines are undergoing rapid change, which means that occasionally, scientists learn that their prior hypotheses were flat-out incorrect. Unfortunately, researchers and labs may continue to use outmoded methods and provide inaccurate data.
Myths about arson busted
Investigators of arson for years held beliefs that have since been proven to be wholly erroneous. In reality, it took the catastrophic Oakland brush fire of 1991 for people’s perspectives to shift. Over twenty people perished in the fire, which also left 3,000 dwellings in ruins. Despite being certain that arson had not been the source of the loss, fire investigators who looked at 50 of the destroyed homes discovered numerous instances of damage that had previously been used to “establish” arson.
Multiple “burn signs” that authorities believed could only have been the result of arson turned proved to be completely inconclusive. Yet a 2013 study revealed that many fire investigators continue to hold onto some of those beliefs.
“Experts” in arson
There are no national regulations governing who can be an expert fire investigator, unlike some types of scientific experts that require postgraduate degrees and adhere to national standards to be qualified for their profession. Although most states lack qualification standards, California has guidelines for training fire investigators. In reality, only roughly a third of those polled in a 2015 survey had even attended college.
Defenses to charges of arson
However, the prosecution can still make an effort to show you’re guilty by having a so-called expert testify based on outmoded scientific findings. You must thus hire a top-notch criminal defense lawyer who has experience refuting accusations of bogus science.
There are additional viable defenses to arson besides pointing out any errors in the scientific evidence presented by the prosecution. Your defense attorney can assert that someone else could have started the fire if, for instance, it appears likely that arson genuinely was the reason.
Avoid running the danger of a false conviction due to unreliable science. Hire a lawyer who will stand up for you right away. Make the best defense possible by getting in touch with arson defense lawyer Chambers Law Firm right away. Call 714-760-4088, send an email to dchambers@clfca.com to schedule an appointment right now.
