SAN LUIS OBISPO CHILD ABUSE ATTORNEY (P.C. 273 A)

California Penal Code 273(a) – Child Abuse

In San Luis Obispo, and throughout the state of California, if you are involved with children either as a caregiver or a parent, you can easily be charged for child endangerment, also known as “child abuse,” for not adhering to Penal Code 273(a). A domestic violence offense, refers to a variety of criminal behavior targeted at persons under the age of 18, including endangerment. 

When you or your loved one is facing charges such as these, it does not automatically mean that you are guilty. It’s important to vigorously fight a child abuse charge because a criminal conviction will stay on your record and can adversely affect job and educational opportunities down the road.

As a former Prosecutor for the District Attorney’s Offices in both Santa Barbara and San Diego Counties, Sanford Horowitz and his legal team will offer you a free consultation, investigate the evidence against you, and recommend practical steps to achieve the best possible results in your case.

CHILD ENDANGERMENT

Child endangerment is the crime of exposing a child to danger, pain, or suffering and is not dependent on whether or not the child suffered injury or death. You can be charged with child endangerment even when your actions were unintentional.

When you are charged with child endangerment, the prosecutor has to prove that you willfully caused or allowed the child to face danger, physical pain, or mental suffering. A prosecutor must be able to establish the following elements to prove that you are guilty of child abuse:

1. The defendant intentionally inflicted unjustifiable physical or mental suffering on a child, caused such pain or suffering, or permitted such pain/suffer to occur whilst the child was in his or her custody.
2. There were circumstances present that were likely to produce great bodily harm or death to the child.
3. The defendant was criminally negligent.
4. The defendant did not act in a reasonable manner whilst disciplining a child.

Examples of child endangerment include:

• Malnutrition and dehydration of a child, resulting in death of the child.
• Withholding medical attention and treatment for an infant with an illness.
• Drugs are located in the vicinity of children, putting the child at risk.
• Injuring a child, allowing a child to be injured, allowing a child to be put at risk of being injured.

It is possible that the government could allege that the quantum of negligence required is criminal. Criminal negligence must be proved by the following criteria:

1. He or she acts in a reckless way that is gross departure from the way an ordinarily careful person would act in a similar situation.
2. One’s action amounts to the disregard for human life or indifference to any possible consequences of his or her acts.
3. As well as, a reasonable person would have acted in a such a way that would have prevented this harm from taking place.