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Child endangerment is outlined in California Penal Code Section 273A. 

“Any person who, under circumstances or conditions likely to produce great bodily harm or death, willfully causes or permits any child to suffer, or inflicts thereon unjustifiable pain or mental suffering, or having the care or custody of any child, willfully causes or permits the person or health of that child to be injured, or willfully causes or permits that child to be placed in a situation where his or her person or health is endangered.” 

This allows law enforcement a great deal of latitude to charge a person with child endangerment. The charges could be levied for allowing the child to spend time with a person who is clearly dangerous, for failing to require the child to use safety measures like a seatbelt or booster seat, or for failing to obtain medical treatment for a child who clearly needs help. 

Here are some recent cases from the local area.

• A school principal was charged with child endangerment after knocking a student to the ground.
• A parent was arrested after their child was found wandering alone and apparently unable to communicate, in Huntington Beach. 
• Parents were arrested for child endangerment after their child was found dead in a pool, because they were under the influence of marijuana at the time. 

Obviously, these are all cases where children really were in danger and really were harmed. 

We’ve also seen cases where parents faced charges for engaging in perfectly normal activities, such as letting their children walk to school or play in the park. A concerned person calls the authorities in over a misunderstanding, the authorities get called in, and someone is now facing a life-changing misdemeanor charge.

Of course, there are quite a few defenses we can use in these cases.

• The endangerment was not willful. For example, a child wanders off into a dangerous situation while you’re attempting to shop in a public place. You told the child to stay close and were doing your best to watch them in a distracting, chaotic environment. 
• You did everything in your power to stop the source of the suffering or harm. 
• You did not cause the source of suffering or harm. 
• The child did not in fact suffer, or was not in fact harmed. 
• If you were accused because you were disciplining a child, you were acting within your rights and in a reasonable fashion.
• We can provide proof that the allegations are false. 

Every child endangerment case is different, and complex. If you are facing charges, reach out to our office for a case consultation. 

See also:

Domestic Violence Arrests in Los Angeles, CA 

Do You Really Need a Los Angeles Criminal Lawyer if You’re Innocent? 

What to Do If You Get Arrested in Los Angeles, CA