A friend of my step-daughter’s was charged with Arson the other day. According to her, he came home extremley intoxicated, grabbed a beer carton, and went to a church down the street. He went inside the church, lit the beer carton and threw it and lit some other things on fire as well. The fire dept. and police came. Witnesses saw him do it and ID’d him. He confessed and turned himself in. He has yet to be arraigned and has not yet made a plea.
I don’t think there is any motive other than intoxication – meaning not a hate crime, no beef with anyone from the church, etc. He is 29 and I have no add’l info on any prior criminal records, but I’ll speculate and say there probably are some.
My questions are –
1) What degree felony is Arson in the state of Ohio?
2) What is the penalty range for this crime?
3) The detective said the Patriot Act could come into play here – how?
4) What could this be plea bargained down to
