California Penal Code 273(a) Child Endangerment

What are the factors or elements for 273(a) Child Endangerment? 

Under California Penal Code 273, the crime of California child endangerment occurs when someone:

  • Causes or permits a child to suffer unjustifiable physical pain or mental suffering,
  • Willfully causes or permits a child in their care to be injured, or
  • Willfully causes or permits a child to be placed in a dangerous situation.
  • Unlike the California crime of child abuse, a child endangerment conviction does not require that any child suffer an actual injury.2 Therefore, it is easy (and unfortunately quite common) for innocent people to face prosecution under California child endangerment laws. 

California Penal Code 273(a) Child Endangerment

Legal Consequences:

If the circumstances of the child endangerment charges involve a risk of great bodily harm or death for the child then the offense of child endangerment is a
wobbler. This means it may be charged as either a misdemeanor or a
felony.

Misdemeanor child endangerment penalties include up to one (1) year in county jail. For felony child endangerment, penalties include two (2), four (4), or six (6) years in California state prison.

But if there was no risk of great bodily harm or death to the child, then child endangerment in California will be a misdemeanor.

How can we defend you against charges of California Penal Code 273(a) Child Endangerment? 

There are several helpful legal defenses that may be available to you if you face child endangerment charges.

These legal defenses include:

  • The alleged “endangerment” didn’t happen intentionally;
  • You were acting within your rights to discipline your child;
  • You were falsely accused; and
  • You were not the person responsible for the child or who caused the endangerment.

Contact us:

We have been successfully defending clients facing all types of criminal charges in Sonoma and Marin Counties, since 1992.

The 100 Trial Lawyers Association has recognized us as one of the best criminal defense attorneys in the country!

Please call our office today at (707) 571-8600 in our centrally located Santa Rosa office in Sonoma County or call our office in San Rafael in Marin County at (415) 492-4507 to schedule a free and confidential case evaluation.

Don’t bargain with your freedom! The right attorney makes all the difference between your freedom and incarceration!

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