New Canaan Child Endangerment Lawyer
No one wants to put a child in danger, but sometimes children are in the wrong place at the wrong time. If a child is in a backseat of your car and you get stopped for drunk driving, for instance, then not only can you face charges for the DUI, but you can also end up with an arrest for child endangerment.
Child endangerment arrests are often prosecuted as felonies with the potential for long prison sentences and crippling fines. If you have been arrested or charged, then it is vital to consult with a domestic violence attorney experienced in this area of law. New Canaan child endangerment lawyers will know how the laws apply to the facts of your case and how to work toward the best possible outcome.
Scenarios Leading to a Child Endangerment Arrest
Because Connecticut laws are written broadly to protect children in a wide range of circumstances, violations can arise in a number of different situations. Moreover, the laws are designed to not only provide protection from physical harm but also from the possibility of harm to the morals of a minor.
Even if a child faces no physical risk of injury, an adult may be charged with child endangerment, or risk of injury to a minor, if a child or young teen is exposed to behavior considered improper by society. Some common scenarios that warrant contact with a New Canaan child endangerment attorney include:
- Domestic disputes when children are present or in the home
- When a child is in the car during a drunk driving arrest
- If a child is exposed to gratuitous pornography
- When a child is excessively physically disciplined at home
- If a child is present when an adult commits a crime or engages in immoral activity
Penalties and Consequences of Child Endangerment
As an attorney can attest, almost every New Canaan child endangerment arrest results in the launching of an investigation by the Connecticut Department of Children and Families (“DCF”). Each DCF investigation digs deeps into a family’s home life with invasive questions and interviews.
CGS 53-21(a) defines four different felony criminal offenses related to child endangerment arrests. Risk of injury is the most broadly defined of these crimes and it consists of anything that places a minor under the age of 16 in a situation likely to cause harm to the child’s health or morals.
Such conduct is considered a Class C felony in Connecticut, as is transferring permanent custody of a minor in exchange for money or anything else of value. These crimes are punishable by up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000 making it important that an attorney is consulted.
Child Endangerment Sexual Contact Arrests
The most serious offense under the Connecticut risk of injury statute involves illegal contact with the intimate body parts of a minor under age 16 in a “sexual or indecent manner” that is deemed “likely to impair the health or morals” of that minor.
This offense also includes situations where a minor touches the intimate body parts of an adult, and it is treated as a Class B felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000.
The fourth offense under the statute is interfering with or preventing the submission of a report of suspected child abuse or neglect to Connecticut DCF, which is a Class D felony punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $5,000. A New Canaan child endangerment attorney could help you understand this better.
Contact a New Canaan Child Endangerment Attorney
An experienced New Canaan child endangerment lawyer will know how courts have applied the laws in a wide variety of situations and can provide advice as to how to proceed to work toward the best possible result. Contact our firm today to begin building your defense, and to give you some peace of mind.