Fire

[Goodgirls3469]

Jurisdiction

Washington

Can a person be charged with a crime for not waking up two others in his apartment when it caught fire they all escaped safely

 

[army judge]

Can a person be charged with a crime for not waking up two others in his apartment when it caught fire they all escaped safely

It depends.

For example, the investigation might prove that the party of whom you speak started the fire on purpose.

If the party of whom you speak feared for her/his life, became anxious, excited, and fearful; it might be said she/he was in shock and wasn't responsible for waking the others.

That presumes, of course, he/she had no hand in starting the fire!

 

[adjusterjack]

Can a person be charged with a crime for not waking up two others in his apartment when it caught fire they all escaped safely

Since they all escaped safely why would you even ask the question?

 

[Betty3]

I also wonder why you ask the question if all got out safely. There might be more to the story. Apparently no smoke alarm or it wasn't working?

 

[dee_dub]

Crime typically requires a guilty act (actus reus, in the Latin) and guilty mind (mens rea). If the person knew that the others might come to bodily harm, and was negligent or reckless as to their safety, then they might have the guilty mind. But I don't see what the guilty act is in your scenario. No harm, no foul.