Norwalk Child Endangerment Lawyer

Norwalk police and prosecutors liberally use the terms “risk of injury to a minor” and “child endangerment” in a variety of different domestic violence circumstances which might put a child’s physical or moral health in harm’s way. A distinguished Norwalk child endangerment lawyer can provide invaluable help in dealing with a risk of injury arrest to minimize the risk to your criminal record.

Classifying Child Endangerment Offenses

Felony risk of injury arrests are frequently and gratuitously tacked on to domestic violence cases. This is true even when the children are not involved in the dispute, but may be sleeping in the home or are in the vicinity of the dispute. Child endangerment charges often carry penalties that are more serious than the penalties involved in the underlying case, so they must be handled aggressively and with extreme care by an attorney in Norwalk.

While Connecticut enforces a number of statutes designed to protect minors from danger, cases of child endangerment very often involve risk of injury charges. Connecticut divides conduct that could result in a risk of injury arrest into three different categories: the first describes a broad, situational risk of harm, the second involves sexual misconduct, and the third prohibits the sale of children.

Penalties for Risk of Injury Arrests

Many situations can arguably pose a risk to a child’s health or morals, and a conviction pursuant to this kind of risk of injury arrest may result in a maximum of 10 years and a fine of up to $10,000, given this crime’s status as a Class C felony.

Other, more serious risk of injury charges are treated as Class B felonies with penalties that include up to 20 years imprisonment and fines as high as $15,000. These offenses prohibit improper sexual contact with a child, such as touching the intimate body parts of a minor under the age of 16 or subjecting the minor to contact with the adult’s intimate body parts in an indecent manner. If someone is accused of either of these child endangerment offenses, a lawyer in Norwalk could work to build a defense against these charges.

Leaving Children Unsupervised in a Car

Under state law, there are several other statutory offenses that may be viewed as child endangerment. For instance, C.G.S. § 53-21a forbids parents and guardians from leaving a minor under the age of 12 unsupervised in a place of public accommodation or motor vehicle “for a period of time that presents a substantial risk to the child’s health or safety.”

This offense is a misdemeanor if it is committed during the day, but it is a felony if it is committed after 8:00 p.m. It is also a felony if the child is left unsupervised in a location that is licensed to serve alcohol. Additional offenses that commonly appear in child endangerment cases include failing to report the disappearance of a minor and the abandonment of a child under the age of six.

If you have been arrested for Risk of Injury, it is crucial to work with a Norwalk child endangerment lawyer who is thoroughly familiar with how the courts have interpreted the statutes in different situations. They can help you build a strong defense strategy with the greatest potential for success.

Required DCF Investigations for Child Endangerment Charges

Any time someone is arrested on child endangerment charges involving their own children, state law requires that the Department of Children and Families (DCF) open an investigation into the defendant and their residence to determine if their child is experiencing further abuse or neglect at home. Rather than depending on a report from a mandated reporter or an anonymous tip, DCF generally initiates this kind of investigation based on a request from law enforcement after making an arrest.

In less serious situations, an ensuing DCF investigation may begin and end in a matter of days with no lasting action taken by the Department or the courts. However, if someone is accused of putting their child at moderate or severe risk of harm or sexual misconduct, the investigation is more likely to result in this person’s children being taken away from them.

Importantly, a child endangerment charge that prompts a DCF investigation has no bearing on the outcome of that investigation. Even if a parent or guardian is acquitted of their original charge, any evidence discovered by DCF of abuse or neglect in their home could lead to serious repercussions in court and even the loss of custody or visitation rights. To learn more about DCF investigations in Norwalk, click here. A Norwalk attorney could explain how this process works in more specific detail and provide representation to anyone going through an investigation from child endangerment.

How a Norwalk Child Endangerment Attorney Could Help