Back in July, we posted a story about a 40-year-old Seattle man who was charged with arson, domestic violence and felony domestic violence after setting fire to a home he co-owned with his ex-wife. That incident, as we noted, was accompanied by the violation of a protective order for his ex-wife, who was not present at the time the house was set on fire.

The man, an attorney, will reportedly enter an Alford plea in the case, and prosecutors will be recommending two concurrent sentences of 20 months and 17 months for the arson and domestic violence charges. In an Alford plea, the defendant asserts innocence from having committed the crimes he is charged with, but also admits that there is sufficient evidence to convince a judge or jury to find the defendant guilty.

The house fire actually took place on the morning of June 29. Police received two calls regarding the incident, one in which the man was determined to be suicidal. According to his ex-wife, he told her the night before the fire that he didn't want to be alive if he couldn't be with her. The two had separated in 2008, shortly after an incident in which the man broke his ex-wife's jaw. Prior to the house fire, he had violated restraining orders multiple times and stalked his wife.

As we noted, the man spent a couple months in jail earlier this year after he was charged with felony harassment for threatening to kill a Seattle Municipal Court Judge. That case was brought down to a misdemeanor and he was sentenced to 12 months in jail and two years of probation, though that sentence was suspended.

The house fire incident reportedly took place a matter of weeks after this.

Sources said the man is set to be sentenced on December 9.

Source: ABA Journal, "Seattle Lawyer Who Allegedly Threatened to Kill Judge to Get 20 Months in Subsequent Home-Arson Case," Martha Neil, November 18, 2011.