Wednesday, April 18, 2012

People v. Kurtenbach (Cal. Ct. App. - April 12, 2012)

I didn't know that if you burn down your own property (arson) and accidentally damage your neighbor's property as a result that counts as "vandalism" under California law.

I also didn't know that if you're facing criminal charges of arson, and realize that someone (not at your direction) filed an insurance claim for that arson, it doesn't count as a violation of your Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination for the state to incarcerate you based upon your failure to confess to the arson.

But both of these are indeed the law of California.