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I am Accused of Child Endangerment - What Should I Do? - California Penal Code Section 273a

By Walin & Klarich

California Penal Code Section 273a defines child endangerment as any person causing great bodily harm or death to a child. This crime includes inflicting physical abuse upon a child, but also punishes any person who allows for a child to physically or mentally suffer. In other words, a person may be convicted of child endangerment if they cause any physical or mental harm to a child. The definition of child endangerment as found in Penal Code Section 273a is very broad. If the defendant is accused of child endangerment the prosecution will have to prove that the defendant willfully inflicted unjustifiable physical or mental pain upon the child. The pain inflicted must be unjustifiable. If the defendant did not cause the actual pain, he or she may still be convicted of child endangerment...continue to full post

Full post as published by Southern California Criminal Defense Blog on February 17, 2010 (boomark / email).