In Fort Collins and Larimer County, Reckless Endangerment is often charged along with another crime. Sometimes, the underlying crime results in creating a risk of injury to others. That’s what happened with a recent Arson case. According to the report, a man was charged for setting fire to a garage that was detached from his apartment building. The garage fire spread to the apartment building and luckily, no one was injured. The man was charged with Arson and Reckless Endangerment. The Arson was obviously the first crime charged – but a result of the fire was the additional Reckless Endangerment charges for everyone who could have potentially been harmed because of the fire.
Larimer County First Degree Arson Lawyer: Definition of 1st Degree Arson for Garage Fire in Colorado
The Larimer County, Colorado law definition of First Degree Arson – C.R.S. 18-4-102 – is:
A garage would be considered a building under this statute. It was alleged in the article that the man intentionally set the fire, meaning that he would be charged with 1st Degree Arson because he knowingly set the fire. First Degree Arson is charged as a class 3 felony in Colorado, which is punishable by four to twelve years in the Colorado Department of Corrections and up to $750,000 in fines.
Reckless Endangerment Attorney in Loveland and Estes Park: Definition of Reckless Endangerment
In Fort Collins, Loveland, and Estes Park, Colorado, Reckless Endangerment – C.R.S. 18-3-208 – is defined as:
Because of the garage’s proximity to the apartment building, it was a likely outcome that the fire would spread. While, thankfully, no one was injured, setting the fire so near to an occupied structure created a substantial risk of serious bodily injury. It’s likely that he was charged with a count of Reckless Endangerment for every person in the apartment building at the time of the fire.
If you or someone you love has been charged with a crime like Reckless Endangerment, be smart, exercise your right to remain silent, and contact the best criminal defense attorneys from the O’Malley Law Office at 970-658-0007 to schedule a free initial consultation. We also practice in Greeley and Weld County. Click HERE to visit our Weld County website. Together, we can protect your future.
Photo by George Becker