Opinion ID: 1976261
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: charge regarding the elements of the crime.

Text: The defendant asserts that the trial court failed to define the basic elements of the crime, citing State v. Butler, 27 N.J. 560 (1958). The arson referred to in N.J.S. 2 A :113-1 and 2 is the common law and not the statutory crime. State v. Butler, supra . Common law arson is the willful and malicious burning of the dwelling house of another, State v. Fish, 27 N.J.L. 323, 324 ( Sup. Ct. 1859); State v. Midgeley, 15 N.J. 574, 576-577 (1954). The trial court charged in a modified form (the modification did not concern the elements of arson set forth in the request) defendant's request to charge number 28: In order to establish its case the State must prove burning by willful act of the Defendant. A single fact that a building has been burned does not prove arson. Other references to arson were: [Defendant] is specifically charged with the unlawful burning of the Rectory    causing    death   . [Defendant's defense is divided into two parts] the first part is that he is not guilty of the offense    `that is, he denies that he set fire to the rectory   ' The second part is that if you find beyond a reasonable doubt that he did `fire the rectory,' then he was insane at the time he set the fire.    [Defendant] disputes the accusation and the proof that he set fire to the rectory   . [You must] resolve    whether    he did    set fire to the rectory. The State contends that on March 14, 1956, the Defendant, Elber Lucas set fire to the Rectory.