Child Endangerment Defenses in Stamford

When facing child endangerment charges, it is important to have a compassionate, experienced criminal defense attorney on your side. If you are under investigation or have been charged with a crime for putting your child at risk of harm, discussing child endangerment defenses in Stamford with qualified legal counsel should be a priority.

Fighting Criminal Charges for Child Endangerment

There are several ways someone could be prosecuted under Connecticut General Statutes (C.G.S.) §§53-21 or 53-21a for allegedly endangering their child. In general, most successful defense strategies in Connecticut criminal courts revolve around proving that one or more definitional elements of a particular offense was not present in the defendant’s actions.

To name a simple example, “child endangerment” often cannot occur by the letter of the law if the defendant was not the parent, guardian, or person in charge of supervising the child in question, so anyone arrested for allegedly endangering someone else’s child might be able to argue against a conviction based on that fact. In practice, child endangerment defenses in Stamford usually revolve around establishing that the defendant’s actions did not actually put their child at a serious risk of harm.

In this regard, small details can make a huge difference in a case’s outcome. For instance, the difference between a few minutes and half an hour could be vast in the context of determining whether a parent left their child alone in their car long enough to endanger their physical health. Guidance from knowledgeable legal counsel can be crucial to constructing the strongest possible case based on all the available information.

How to Deal with DCF Investigations

Compared to the process of fighting criminal charges, defending against child endangerment investigations by the Department of Children and Families (“DCF”) is more a matter of calmly interacting with state authorities rather than aggressively challenging their assertions. DCF investigators have a lot of leeway when it comes to interpreting how parents respond to their questions and investigative practices, and it is very common for a poorly-phrased answer or standoffish behavior to be used as evidence to substantiate a finding of child endangerment.

The most important element of your child endangerment case in Stamford with regard to DCF proceedings is to be as cooperative as possible without providing unnecessary information and without failing to comply with Safety Plans or similar short-term measures. Once again, a qualified defense lawyer’s support could be vital in this regard.

Talk to a Stamford Attorney About Defenses to Child Endangerment Charges

Child endangerment can result in serious repercussions both in criminal court and in ensuing family court proceedings initiated by DCF. Going through a double-pronged case like this without a knowledgeable legal professional’s assistance could substantially increase your odds of an unfavorable final resolution.

Effectively implementing child endangerment defenses in Stamford is almost always easier with a capable lawyer on your side. Click here to read our over 300 certified client reviews on Avvo.com, and call today to schedule your private consultation at Mark Sherman Law.