The Illustrated Guide to Criminal Law
Chapter 13: I Had No Choice!
Necessity pg 5: Dylan the Dimwit
First, let’s look at Necessity. How can you tell when circumstances justify committing an act that ordinarily would have been a crime?
Meet Dylan the Dimwit.
Dylan is pouring gasoline on a fire in his living room, with a bundle of dynamite nearby.
Using gasoline and dynamite, he burned his own house down so he could collect the insurance money (committing Arson and Fraud, in his state).
Dylan’s house is on fire, looking distressed.
The fire quickly began to spread up and down his block.
Nearby houses are catching fire, also looking distressed.