Fort Worth Child Neglect Defense Lawyer

We aggressively defend injury to a child Texas criminal charges. For us to provide you with the best defense you need to politely refuse to speak with CPS or law enforcement, and you need to meet with a Fort Worth criminal attorney, now. Our office books appointments on weekends and after 5PM.

Child Neglect Cases in Texas

When you hear “child neglect” in the criminal context this usually refers to “abandoning” or “endangering” a child. These charges range in seriousness from State Jail Felony to a Second Degree Felony. The law against child neglect covers a wide variety of “acts or omissions.” Some of parts of the law are very subjective. Similar to a “reasonable discipline” as it relates to Injury to a Child, endangering a child can often hinge on an opinion about appropriate parenting. You cannot leave your situation up to a CPS worker or law enforcement agent. If you are suspected of abandoning or endangering a child then you need to speak to a Fort Worth criminal attorney, immediately.

Criminal Charges for Abandoning a Child

As with “Injury to a Child,” a person younger than 15 is considered a “child” for purposes of abandoning a child. In Texas, abandoning means leaving a child somewhere without giving or arranging for “reasonable and necessary care.” A jury deciding what a similarly situated adult would do with a child of similar age and development judges the “reasonable and necessary care”. See, this can be very subjective. What may have been considered reasonable when you were a child may not be considered reasonable now. What one juror may consider reasonable may not be what another juror considers reasonable. Your only chance at fairness is with the help of a Fort Worth Injury to a Child defense lawyer.

Penalty for Child Abandonment in Texas

A criminal charge for child abandonment is a State Jail Felony if the person abandoning the child intended to return to the child. If a person is found guilty of child abandonment, and the person did not intend to return, then the charge is a Third Degree Felony.

The penalty for child abandonment is a Second Degree Felony if the person leaves the child in a situation placing a child in “imminent danger of death, bodily injury, or physical or mental impairment.”

Regardless of whether the charges is a State Jail Felony, Second or Third Degree Felony, abandonment charges are extremely serious. Your need to find the best Fort Worth criminal attorney to handle your case.