Johnson County Man Arrested For Arson Of Ex-Girlfriend’s Home In Overland Park
A Johnson County man was recently arrested in connection with a blaze that destroyed his ex-girlfriend’s home in Overland Park. Prosecutors charged the man with two counts of arson and one count of violating a protective order and filed a motion revoking his bond over related charges accusing the man of aggravated battery against his ex-girlfriend in a separate incident a few weeks earlier.
Johnson County Violent Crimes Attorney
The 38-year-old defendant faces lengthy jail time if convicted of the latest charges against him, not to mention his previous charges as well. A judge set the defendant’s bail at $200,000 in the arson case and is considering revoking the $100,000 bail in the earlier aggravated assault case where he was ordered to stay on hour arrest and wear a GPS ankle monitoring bracelet.
The defendant’s ex-girlfriend was not in her home at the time the alleged perpetrator allegedly ignited the blaze. Had she been, the suspect would be facing the much more serious charge of aggravated arson, which carries increased jail time and fines, particularly if the event results in substantial risk of bodily harm.
Under Kansas felony sentencing guidelines, arson is considered a level six severity personal felony which can carry a sentence of between 17 to 19 months in prison, even with no criminal record. An offense at that level incurs even more jail time if the offender has a criminal background.
As a level three person felony, penalties for aggravated arson are even more severe. With no criminal background the minimum sentencing guidelines are 55 to 61 months in jail. In either case of arson, the sentencing guidelines are outside those which prescribe probation as an alternative to incarceration, meaning jail time is almost certain upon conviction.
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Whether you have been charged with a felony crime like arson as a first offense or have a criminal record, the penalties can be very steep and there is no guarantee prosecutors will recommend probation. Often times, courts do not want to hand out lenient sentences for fear of appearing soft on crime and therefore may be quite harsh on offenders.
If you were charged with a crime, contact our office to speak to an experienced Overland Park criminal defense attorney. Paul Morrison has years of experience as the former Kansas Attorney General and Johnson County District Attorney and will work hard to get your good name cleared. Call us today (913) 780-6666.
