These child endangerment cases are very serious. A lot of times it's parents who are charged with these cases, whether it be some sort of violence towards a child; whether they're drinking and driving and the child is in the car.
It could be a non-parent as well and somehow a child is involved and can get seriously harmed. Then that child endangerment charge is filed by the prosecutors in Los Angeles county and this crime is defined under California Penal Code 273a.
Both the District Attorney's office and the City Attorney's office in LA have specific prosecutors who handle these cases. That's part of the problem because they're very serious about these cases.
Penalties for PC 273a Child Endangerment
It's not just handled in general, it's handled specifically by prosecutors who have been given marching orders as it relates to domestic violence cases.
These marching orders usually include putting people in jail, sending them to prison, making them do domestic violence courses, putting protective orders in place where the parties can't see each other, and this includes kids as well.
When you have a situation where a child is somehow in a position where they can be harmed, it's not uncommon, if it's a parent for example, for that parent to be barred from seeing the child if it's a serious enough case.
Sometimes even Monterey Park Children's Court gets involved and they'll take the parental rights away if they feel the child is in danger and one or both of the parents aren't doing what they're supposed to to protect them.
So, a lot of things get triggered when you're talking child endangerment. A lot of times you'll have the Department of Child and Family Services come over (DCFS) and they're going to be investigating.
Department of Child and Family Services
They're going to go to your home and looking to make sure that the child involved, and even any other children that might be in the home, are okay, are being taken care of, aren't being abused in any way.
So, they will interview the children a lot of times and they're going to be looking to make sure they're okay.
If they're not, they'll either take the children away or they'll tell the parent who is doing the abusing, who's the one that is the subject of the investigation.
Also, a possible criminal prosecution related to child endangerment, that they're not allowed to go in the house while the case is pending. And they'll put them in a whole separate system apart from the criminal system.
Contact Hedding Law Firm If Charged with Child Endangerment
I've been doing this for 26 years. I've defended people from the early 1990s. I know how to handle a child endangerment case. I have kids of my own. I know what it takes to be successful for you.
If you need help because everything's on the line, the relationship with your children is on the line, if you're facing jail, prison and a host of other penalties — pick up the phone.
Ask for a meeting with Ron Hedding. I'm ready to help you. I will do everything I can to make sure that you are taken care of.
Hedding Law Firm is a criminal defense law firm located at 16000 Ventura Blvd #1208 Encino, CA 91436. Contact us for a free case evaluation at (213) 542-0979.
