ABSTRACT
In most states, arson is divided into degrees, depending sometimes on the value of the property but more commonly on its use and whether the crime was committed in the day or night. A typical statute might make the burning of an inhabited dwelling house at night ”rst-degree arson; the burning of a building close enough to a dwelling so as to endanger it, second-degree arson; and the burning of any structure with intent to defraud an insurer thereof, third-degree arson. Many statutes vary the degree of the crime according to the criminal intent of the accused.
