Madison WI Arson Defense Lawyer Attorney

There are several different arson charges in the Wisconsin criminal law, all of which are felonies. The four principle arson crimes in Wisconsin are set forth below.

943.02. Arson of buildings; damage of property by explosives

(1) Whoever does any of the following is guilty of a Class C felony:

(a) By means of fire, intentionally damages any building of another without the other's consent; or

(b) By means of fire, intentionally damages any building with intent to defraud an insurer of that building; or

(c) By means of explosives, intentionally damages any property of another without the other's consent.

(2) In this section “building of another” means a building in which a person other than the actor has a legal or equitable interest which the actor has no right to defeat or impair, even though the actor may also have a legal or equitable interest in the building. Proof that the actor recovered or attempted to recover on a policy of insurance by reason of the fire is relevant but not essential to establish the actor's intent to defraud the insurer.

943.03. Arson of property other than building

Whoever, by means of fire, intentionally damages any property of another without the person's consent, if the property is not a building and has a value of $100 or more, is guilty of a Class I felony.

 

943.04. Arson with intent to defraud

Whoever, by means of fire, damages any property, other than a building, with intent to defraud an insurer of that property is guilty of a Class H felony. Proof that the actor recovered or attempted to recover on a policy of insurance by reason of the fire is relevant but not essential to establish the actor's intent to defraud the insurer.

943.05. Placing of combustible materials an attempt

Whoever places any combustible or explosive material or device in or near any property with intent to set fire to or blow up such property is guilty of an attempt to violate either s. 943.01, 943.012, 943.013, 943.02, 943.03 or 943.04, depending on the facts of the particular case.