Grapevine Child Endangerment Lawyer
Child endangerment laws encompass a wide range of offenses that can lead to severe penalties. If child endangerment charges have been filed against you or your loved one, it is essential to hire a Grapevine child endangerment lawyer that you can rely on for a vigorous legal defense. Our criminal defense attorneys have over 100 years of collective experience handling serious criminal allegations and will fight tirelessly to safeguard your rights and seek favorable results.
What is Child Abandonment & Endangerment?
Texas Penal Code Section 22.041 discusses child endangerment and abandonment. Child endangerment occurs when a person behaves in such a way that a minor under the age of 15 is at immediate risk of death or harm. The statute also outlines certain circumstances in which the crime of child endangerment is assumed, such as when someone produces or administers methamphetamine around the minor.
Child abandonment is a similar but separate charge. Under Texas law, child abandonment is when someone who has custody or authority of a minor under the age of 15 purposely abandons them, putting them in jeopardy of impending harm or death.
What Actions Could Result in Child Abuse?
Any action that causes a minor younger than 15 to face an immediate threat of injury or death can be charged as child endangerment.
Examples of child endangerment include leaving loaded firearms within the near vicinity of a minor, intentionally injuring a child, and negligent supervision of a child that puts them at risk of harm. If you or a loved one is placed under arrest for child endangerment allegations, call our Grapevine attorneys to discuss defense options to fight these charges.
What is the Punishment for Child Abandonment & Endangerment?
Child endangerment can be filed as a second degree or state jail felony and child abandonment can be charged as a state jail felony, a second-degree felony, or a third-degree felony, depending on the facts involved.
Abandonment of a child is a state jail felony when the alleged defendant plans to come back to get the minor. State jail felonies carry a sentence of up to two years incarceration and a $10,000 fine. Child endangerment is also a state jail felony. A child abandonment charge would be a third-degree felony if the individual had no plans to come back for the child, meaning they would instead face a maximum prison term of 10 years.
Child abandonment is elevated to a second-degree felony when the act of neglect put the child at unreasonable risk of harm or death. A second-degree felony conviction requires that you serve a minimum of two years in jail, but the court can impose a prison sentence up to 20 years. Fines as high as $10,000 may also be imposed. Our Grapevine child endangerment attorneys can evaluate any mitigating factors in your charges and advise what penalties could apply in the event of a conviction.
Reach Out to a Grapevine Child Endangerment Attorney
For more information about protecting your legal rights, please do not hesitate to contact a Grapevine child endangerment lawyer with Varghese Summersett. We provide a free introductory case consultation during which our attorneys can answer your questions, explain your rights, and assess the most effective strategies to defend your charges. Reach out to our office today to schedule a call with one of our attorneys.
