State v. LeClair

CARTER, Justice.

Following a jury trial in Superior Court, Randy S. LeClair was convicted of arson in connection with a fire at Neptune’s Landing, a seasonal restaurant in Old Orchard Beach. 1 On appeal, the defendant argues that the evidence was insufficient to support the verdict and that the trial court erred in excluding evidence important to his defense. We set aside the conviction and remand for a new trial because the trial court’s exclusion of evidence constituted prejudical error.

The fire occurred in the early morning of November 11, 1979. The restaurant had been closed since Labor…