Stamford Risk of Injury to a Minor Penalties
The term risk of injury to a minor can be interchanged with the term child endangerment. The potential penalties associated with a risk of injury to a minor charge include jail time, probation, and fines. A skilled risk of injury attorney can help you better understand the Stamford risk of injury to a minor penalties.
What Role Does Risk of Injury Play in Connecticut Laws?
Risk of injury is broken down into two subsections in the Connecticut General Statutes. C.G.S. § 53-21(a)(1) makes it a crime to place a child under the age of 16 in a situation where that child is at risk of life endangerment, injury to health, moral impairment, or to otherwise do anything that would cause impairment to the health or morals of the child.
The more serious subsection, C.G.S. § 53-21(a)(2) prohibits someone from having contact with the intimate parts of a person under 16-years-old or subjecting a child under 16 to having contact with a person’s intimate parts in a manner that is sexual and is likely to cause moral impairment to the child.
Common Risk of Injury Accusations
Risk of injury charges are broad and cover a range of things. Stamford risk of injury to a minor penalties can accompany domestic violence charges, especially if the children are under 16 and they are in the house during a fight or they witness a fight. A person can also be charged with risk of injury to a minor if they leave a child alone in the car, drive while drunk with a child in the car, or physically discipline the child in a way that is excessive.
Following a Child Endangerment Arrest in Stamford
When Stamford risk of injury to a minor penalties are coupled with domestic violence charges, the person charged is arraigned the next day. In cases that don’t involve domestic violence charges, if they bond out or are given a promise to appear, they are given a court date in about two weeks after the initial arrest. The risk of injury charges in Stamford may also trigger a Connecticut Department of Children and Families (DCF) investigation that takes place within 48 hours of the arrest.
Types of Child Endangerment Charges
A risk of injury to a minor is always charged as a felony. However, the different subsections are charged differently. Section 53-21(a)(1) is a Class C felony and Section 53-21(a)(2) is Class B felony.
Stamford risk of injury to a minor penalties for a Class C felony is up to ten years in jail, probation, and a fine of up to $10,000 and a Class B felony is up to 20 years in jail. Under those risks of injury statute, there can be sex offender registration, sex offender probation, and fines of up to $15,000.
Cases Involving Sexual Conduct
The main difference with sexual contact in a risk of injury case is that these offenses often lead to some type of sex offender registration on the national registry and sex offender probation- this is also charged as a Class B felony. Contact an experienced attorney to understand the potential penalties.