Pruett v. Texas

Appellant Jeffrey Pruett was convicted of arson, and the jury made a deadly-weapon finding. The question before the Court of criminal Appeals was whether: the fire started by appellant was a deadly weapon when the fire was started with an accelerant in a residential neighborhood; was left unattended and uncontrolled by appellant; and was ultimately extinguished through the efforts of appellant’s neighbors and the Fort Worth Fire Department. Because the record supported a finding that the fire was capable of causing death or serious bodily injury, the Court held that the deadly-weapon finding was proper. Consequently, the Court reversed the judgment of the court of appeals. View "Pruett v. Texas" on Justia Law