Child Endangerment

Child endangerment is the act of placing a child in a dangerous situation without taking measures to protect the child.  A prosecutor can charge an offense of child endangerment as either a misdemeanor or as a felony, depending on the circumstances.

A prosecutor must prove that a defendant charged with child endangerment either willfully inflicted unjustifiable physical pain or mental suffering on a child, or willfully caused – or through negligence permitted – a child to be placed in a situation where he or she had been endangered. In California a person can be convicted of child endangerment even when a child suffers no injury.

A felony conviction of child endangerment results in a “strike” on the offender’s criminal record. Under California’s “three strikes law” a strike will affect a person’s sentence in the case, as well as all future felony cases.

If a child was involved in a situation that was so severe so as to result in the child’s death, the prosecutor could charge many different offenses in addition to child endangerment.

Although child endangerment carries severe penalties, there are effective defenses that can be used to fight a child endangerment allegation.

When facing criminal charges, hiring the right lawyer is one of the most important things you can do.  An effective defense can protect a person against a child endangerment charge.

The experienced criminal lawyers at Boxer McLaughlin, APC can find a way to maximize our client’s outcome – from negotiating a favorable settlement to winning at trial.

With decades of criminal defense experience the attorneys at Boxer McLaughlin, APC know how to achieve success for our clients.

As experienced criminal defense attorneys we know how best to defend our clients against the government.

Call our office for a consultation (949) 261-2700, or  email us by clicking here.