Ballenger v. State

In the early morning hours of March 12, 1995, a fire engulfed a rental home in Hoover, Alabama, causing significant damage and forcing the evacuation of its residents. At that time, the occupants of the house included the appellant, Walter Ballenger; his best friend and the leaseholder, Joe Cameron; and Cameron's family, including his wife, his mother, his daughter and his son. Ballenger was charged with arson. It is undisputed that the fire began as the result of the malfunction and melting of an automatic drip coffeemaker. The central issue at trial was whether Ballenger had intentionally…