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Moffit Sponsored Bill Would Add Reimbursement Fee to Arson Convictions
Set a fire on purpose, pay with jail or prison time, and perhaps soon, through a hit to the wallet or pocketbook as well.

State Representative Don Moffitt passed legislation out of the House Criminal Law Committee that moves on to the full house for further consideration. The measure is called the Emergency Services Response Reimbursement for Criminal Convictions Act.

Moffitt says arson is an extremely costly crime, and the destruction is often immense. He says people convicted of all the various types of arson should receive more than jail or prison time.

"On a conviction of an arson that the court would order the responding agencies, emergency, would be paid for their response to that emergency."

Moffitt says the reimbursement would be based on the actual cost of the response and can range from $1,000 to $10,000.

The Gilson Republican says arsons account for a high number of fires, with experts estimating as many as half of all fires are intentionally set. He says a great deal of fire department resources and time are spent fires that never should've occurred in the first place.


Don Moffitt

(WGIL News File Photo)
03 22 09 by Newsroom
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