Ridgefield Risk of Injury to a Minor Lawyer

In Ridgefield, it is common for children to be present during domestic disputes, and often it is the children who make the emergency 911 calls to report the domestic violence. As the best Ridgefield Connecticut criminal lawyers and attorneys know, these situations can frequently lead to arrests for risk of injury under CGS 53-21, which are tacked on to domestic violence offenses such as disorderly conduct and assault.

An arrest in Ridgefield Connecticut for risk of injury to a minor is a serious felony offense in Connecticut. The negative consequences of this charge may begin right away, with an arrest record that can impact housing and employment. It also triggers an invasive investigation by the Connecticut Department of Children and Families.

If you have been arrested in Ridgefield, Connecticut for risk of injury or child endangerment under CGS 53-21, speak with a Ridgefield risk of injury to a minor lawyer right away. A qualified domestic violence attorney can help you start protecting your rights and working towards getting your charge dismissed.

Common Ridgefield Risk of Injury Arrest Scenarios

Connecticut lawmakers have enacted a child endangerment statute that prohibits three types of conduct. The first prohibition is general and for that reason probably the most common. Section 53-21(a)(1) of the Connecticut code forbids placing a minor under the age of 16 in a position that endangers the child’s life or is likely to impair the child’s health or morals.

Ridgefield risk of injury to a minor lawyers can argue that a wide range of circumstances could pose a threat to physical safety or moral development, so Ridgefield Police and Danbury prosecutors exercise discretion in deciding when to apply this statute.

Some of the more common situations when charges have been made under this provision include incidents where a child has been left alone in a car or elsewhere when a child has received physical punishment such as spanking or when a child is in the car when a vehicle is stopped for speeding or a DUI offense. Violation of this provision is considered a Class C felony and is therefore punishable by up to ten years in prison as well as a fine of up to $10,000.

Risk of Injury Arrests Involving Sexual Contact

The most serious risk of injury offense is set forth in Section 53-21(a)(2). This section prohibits an individual from either having contact with the intimate body parts of a minor or subjecting a minor to contact with the intimate body parts of an adult, if such conduct is made in a way that is sexual and indecent and is considered likely to injure the moral or physical health of the minor.

This section can even include improper contact with a child during a bath. As a Class B felony, this offense comes with potential penalties that include as much as 20 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $15,000, and registration as a sex offender.

Contact a Ridgefield Risk of Injury to a Minor Lawyer

With potential consequences this severe, a charge of risk of injury to a minor or child endangerment is not one to be ignored or taken lightly. You need to get an experienced Ridgefield risk of injury to a minor lawyer on your side as quickly as possible so that your legal team can begin working toward the best resolution based on the circumstances of your case.