Annotate this Case
Justia Opinion Summary
Defendant, a volunteer firefighter and captain of the Wallingford Volunteer Fire Department, appealed a conviction for conspiring to set fires to public lands. Defendant and other members of the Department were "bored" and conspired to set fires because it gave them "something to do." The court concluded that the evidence was sufficient to convict defendant of conspiracy to set fires on public lands where specific knowledge of federal ownership is not required, either for the substantive statute or for conspiracy to violate the substantive statute. Further, even assuming that defendant had a right to be present at the jury orientation, he knowingly and voluntarily waived it. Accordingly, the court affirmed the judgment of the district court.
Read more
Want to stay in the know about new opinions from the Second Circuit US Court of Appeals? Sign up for free summaries delivered directly to your inbox. Learn More ›You already receive new opinion summaries from Second Circuit US Court of Appeals. Did you know we offer summary newsletters for even more practice areas and jurisdictions? Explore them here.
Download PDF
Some case metadata and case summaries were written with the help of AI, which can produce inaccuracies. You should read the full case before relying on it for legal research purposes.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.