Juvenile with Arson

[pugfug90]

What is the name of your state? Georgia
Age: 16

Sometime in February 2006, I started a fire in my backyard...I was cooking something. Then bored. Then took a chopstick, placed it over the gas oven. It wasn't dangerous at the time..I let it cool to an ember. Then I did it again. And I'm 90% sure that when I took it outside, the chopstick was still just embers. So I took it outside, dug it into the ground, thinking that dirt and ember would kill each other, but it was a windy day on dry winter grass. It immediately spread about the size of a shoebox?

I had faith in the authorities so rather than killing it off myself, which I'm sure I could've, I went inside and called the police. The dispatcher took like 4 minutes -_- Yeah it spread pretty big. About half of my yard(though my yard is small since it's a crowded subdivision) And I walked back and forth, got a 'welcome carpet', extinguished some fires that were approaching my house. It got hot so I quit. Then back with a fire extinguisher and extinguished some more. Some neighbors said use the hose, but the one that was nearby melted..Yeah and after the firemen came, 3 yards were burned, a fourth with a fence got blackened...though it was minimal damage.

The other neighbors didn't care for charges, but one did..Initially it was a 1st degree arson charge, now a 3rd degree charge.. Just got a letter saying to arrive in court June 27.
Charged with 3rd degree arson to the boy that knowingly(I didn't on purpose) started a fire with $25 damage.
Any idea my punishment/advice?

 

[seniorjudge]

What is the name of your state? Georgia
Age: 16

Sometime in February 2006, I started a fire in my backyard...I was cooking something. Then bored. Then took a chopstick, placed it over the gas oven. It wasn't dangerous at the time..I let it cool to an ember. Then I did it again. And I'm 90% sure that when I took it outside, the chopstick was still just embers. So I took it outside, dug it into the ground, thinking that dirt and ember would kill each other, but it was a windy day on dry winter grass. It immediately spread about the size of a shoebox?

I had faith in the authorities so rather than killing it off myself, which I'm sure I could've, I went inside and called the police. The dispatcher took like 4 minutes -_- Yeah it spread pretty big. About half of my yard(though my yard is small since it's a crowded subdivision) And I walked back and forth, got a 'welcome carpet', extinguished some fires that were approaching my house. It got hot so I quit. Then back with a fire extinguisher and extinguished some more. Some neighbors said use the hose, but the one that was nearby melted..Yeah and after the firemen came, 3 yards were burned, a fourth with a fence got blackened...though it was minimal damage.

The other neighbors didn't care for charges, but one did..Initially it was a 1st degree arson charge, now a 3rd degree charge.. Just got a letter saying to arrive in court June 27.
Charged with 3rd degree arson to the boy that knowingly(I didn't on purpose) started a fire with $25 damage.
Any idea my punishment/advice?

Standard answer

Here are some hints on appearing in court:

Dress professionally in clean clothes.

Do not wear message shirts.

Don't chew gum, smoke, or eat. (Smokers...pot or tobacco...literally stink. Remember that before you head for court.)

Bathe and wash your hair.

Do not bring small children or your friends.

Go to court beforehand some day before you actually have to go to watch how things go.

Speak politely and deferentially. If you argue or dispute something, do it professionally and without emotion.

Ask the court clerk who you talk to about a diversion (meaning you want to plead to a different, lesser charge), if applicable in your situation. Ask about traffic school and that the ticket not go on your record, if applicable. Ask also about getting a hardship driving permit, if applicable. Ask about drug court, if applicable.

From marbol:

“Judge...

You forgot the one thing that I've seen that seems to frizz up most judges these days:

If you have a cell phone, make DAMN SURE that it doesn't make ANY noise in the courtroom. This means when you are talking to the judge AND when you are simply sitting in the court room.

If you have a ‘vibrate’ position on your cell phone, MAKE sure the judge DOESN'T EVEN HEAR IT VIBRATE!

Turn it off or put it in silent mode where it flashes a LED if it rings. AND DON'T even DREAM about answering it if it rings.”

(Better yet, don’t carry your cell phone into the courtroom.)”


Here are five stories that criminal court judges hear the most (and I suggest you do not use them or variations of them):

1. I’ve been saved! (This is not religion specific; folks from all kinds of religious backgrounds use this one.)

2. My girlfriend/mother/sister/daughter/wife/ex-wife/niece/grandma/grand-daughter is pregnant/sick/dying/dead/crippled/crazy and needs my help.

3. I’ve got a job/military posting in [name a place five hundred miles away].

4. This is the first time I ever did this. (This conflicts with number 5 below, but that hasn’t stopped some defendants from using both.)

5. You’ve got the wrong guy. (A variation of this one is the phantom defendant story: “It wasn’t me driving, it was a hitchhiker I picked up. He wrecked the car, drug me behind the wheel then took off.” Or, another variation: “I was forced into it by a bad guy!”)

https://forum.freeadvice.com/showthread.php?p=854687#post854687

Public defender’s advice

http://newyork.craigslist.org/about/best/sfo/70300494.html


Other people may give you other advice; stand by.

 

[stealth2]

What is the name of your state? Georgia
Age: 16

Sometime in February 2006, I started a fire in my backyard...I was cooking something. Then bored. (blah blah blah)

What - they don't teach you in kindergarten in GA not to play with fire? What a maroon.

 

[pugfug90]

What - they don't teach you in kindergarten in GA not to play with fire? What a maroon.

Yeah a maroon

Sigh sigh...I forgot, I'm pretty sure they never asked my miranda rights before getting info. Also, the ?dispatcher? asked on of the guys if they had a certain form, but they didn't so they just used a sketch journal thing for me write on.

About the miranda, I didn't tell my mom because she never cares what I say...But will it make a difference?

 

[fairisfair]

What - they don't teach you in kindergarten in GA not to play with fire? What a maroon.

uh uh stealth, maroon is when you are surrounded by water, not fire!!

 

[fairisfair]

Yeah a maroon

Sigh sigh...I forgot, I'm pretty sure they never asked my miranda rights before getting info. Also, the ?dispatcher? asked on of the guys if they had a certain form, but they didn't so they just used a sketch journal thing for me write on.

About the miranda, I didn't tell my mom because she never cares what I say...But will it make a difference?

No it won't. Have you told your parents yet, that you are the one who destroyed all of the greenery in the neighborhood?? are they considering getting you a lawyer?

 

[pugfug90]

Yeah, I've told my story to the cops/parents...Cops are doubting me...

 

[fairisfair]

Yeah, I've told my story to the cops/parents...Cops are doubting me...

you mean doubting that it was an accident??

 

[pugfug90]

In the beginning I flipped flopped a little, telling cops I didn't put it into sink because I thought it'd 'explode' then later, with their pressure, I admitted I put it into the toilet to extinguish(hoping they weren't too bright and wouldn't catch that)
Yeah, not too many inconsistencies...

So I plan on going to court with a solid story..Will that hurt if they point out inconsistencies?
And anyone else on the miranda rights?
Punishment?

 

[pugfug90]

Yeah, doubting my intent/if it was an accident. They are charging me with 'knowingly starting a fire'

 

[fairisfair]

In the beginning I flipped flopped a little, telling cops I didn't put it into sink because I thought it'd 'explode' then later, with their pressure, I admitted I put it into the toilet to extinguish(hoping they weren't too bright and wouldn't catch that)
Yeah, not too many inconsistencies...

So I plan on going to court with a solid story..Will that hurt if they point out inconsistencies?
And anyone else on the miranda rights?
Punishment?

are you high?? what sink and toilet? a few minutes ago, you said that you took it to the back yard and poked it in the dirt. Yeah, a few inconsistencies, good luck to you.

 

[pugfug90]

The sink/toilet near the kitchen

 

[Ohiogal]

The sink/toilet near the kitchen

Sounds like you are making it up as you go along. With those stories you might as well plead because your excuse factor is not going to help you. Your changing stories will be admissible in court and will go to prove that you knew what you were doing because you lied to cover it. Lying is proof that you knew your actions were wrong.

 

[pugfug90]

Of course I can see that it's wrong to play with fire, like any sane person...Am I supposed to pretent like I didn't...At first I told the cops I didn't know to put the chopstick in the sink but told I put it in the toilet once..So what would happen if I stick to a solid story, inconsistent with police reports?

 

[stealth2]

Of course I can see that it's wrong to play with fire, like any sane person...

So what - this makes you insane? Since you obviously DIDN'T think it was wrong to play with fire. I was trying to be nice before. But the long and the short of it is that you are a moron and hopefully for your neighbors the book will be thrown at you.