Opinion ID: 852652
Heading Depth: 4
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Arson Under More than One Subsection of Section 1(a)

Text: Dorsey was convicted of one count of Class B felony arson for knowingly setting fire to the Knot Here Lounge under circumstances that endangered human life, Indiana Code section 35-43-1-1(a)(2), and a separate count of Class B felony arson for knowingly setting fire to the lounge without the consent of its owner resulting in a pecuniary loss of at least $5,000, Indiana Code section 35-43-1-1(a)(3). Specifically, the two B felonies are based on damaging the bar valued at $100,000 and damaging the same bar under circumstances that endangered human life. Each of these has an element (endangering human life and pecuniary loss) not required by the other. The State concedes that the trial court erred in sentencing Dorsey to two consecutive twenty year terms for the two Class B felony arson convictions because under Indiana Code section 35-50-1-2, Dorsey's sentence for the two Class B felony arson convictions could be no more than the presumptive sentence for the next highest felony, which was thirty years for Class A felony arson. Thus, the State asks this Court to remand to the trial court to sentence Dorsey to 135 years imprisonment instead of 145 years executed. Dorsey responds that the two B felonies cannot stand and the Court of Appeals agreed, holding that Dorsey could not be convicted of two counts of Class B felony arson because the victim of the damage to property (the owner of the bar) was the same in both counts. The statute starts in section 1(a) by defining arson as a B felony if any one of four circumstances is found. We think as a matter of statutory construction this produces only one B felony arson whether one or more of the four alternatives in section 1(a) is established. Although damaging property is not sufficient to constitute arson, every form of arson requires it, and only damaging property is common to all. In that respect, damaging property is the central element of arson. The Court of Appeals in Montgomery v. State, 804 N.E.2d 1217, 1224-25 (Ind.Ct.App.2004), trans. denied, focused on the number of victims of an arson as determinative of whether one or more than one Class B crime has been committed. Following this rationale, the Court of Appeals in this case held that Dorsey could be convicted of only one Class B arson because the victim of each of the two Class B felonies was the owner of the lounge. Mathews, 824 N.E.2d at 724. We agree with the result reached by the Court of Appeals. However, the reason Dorsey committed only one Class B arson is that the number of arsons turns on the number of properties damaged under one or more of the qualifying circumstances (property damage of at least $5,000, endangering human life, dwelling, etc.). The structure of the arson statute dictates that damaging property owned by only one owner by the same use of fire, explosive, or destructive device is only one B felony arson, whether it falls under one or more than one of the alternatives in section 1(a). We reach this conclusion based on the structure of the B felony arson defined by section 1(a). It does not define different B felony crimes that might be called arson endangering life or arson causing pecuniary loss or arson of a dwelling. Although the statutory language could be clearer, it defines Class B felony arson as knowingly or intentionally damaging one person's property by fire with any one of the alternative criteria in subsections (a)(1)-(4). But, so long as only one person's property is damaged by fire, there is only one Class B arson even if more than one of the circumstances set forth in subsection (a)(1)-(4) are found.