In Orange County California, and throughout the courts of Southern California, Child Endangerment charges can be brought against a particular defendant as either a felony or a misdemeanor. Either way, the consequences of a child endangerment charge and conviction have devastating consequences for the family, the accused, and the child. The government, as the bureaucratic agency in charge of prosecuting these types of crimes, often imparts little understanding and compassion to those accused of child endangerment.

Most of us start from the premise that no child should be placed in any danger. When children are victimized, the world cries out for justice. Unfortunately, that cry for justice has escalated into a roar that has resulted in the deafening of common sense, reason, and a thorough investigation of the facts and circumstances surrounding any one particular allegation.

Children can exaggerate or lie. This is a fact known to every parent. It is also a fact that law enforcement, the District Attorney, and some judges tend to conveniently ignore. Political courage is rare and these charges are often filed based upon weak or suspect evidence. It will take a zealous advocate to defend against a child endangerment charge and win. Hiring The Law Office of Keith J. Bruno gives you that zealous advocate on your side.

The most commonly charged crime of child endangerment is a violation of penal code section 273(a)(b). To prove this crime, the District Attorney must prove that the defendant, while having care and custody of a child, willfully caused or permitted the child to be placed in a situation where the child's person or health might have been in danger. In addition to this charging as a substantive crime, there are other child endangerment enhancements that can be charged. For example, if one is driving with a blood alcohol level over the legal limit of 0.08 or is driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and there are children in the car under the age of 14, the law can impose additional penalties for placing the children in danger.

At the Law Office of Keith J. Bruno, we employ a team approach to helping mend the issues that may be apparent in the family dynamic as well as vigorously defending against charges by the government. Mr. Bruno has successfully defended child endangerment cases for others, and looks forward to helping you and your family.

If you have been accused of child endangerment, contact the Orange County, Los Angeles and San Diego criminal defense firm of The Law Office of Keith J. Bruno. We offer a free face-to-face consultation and can work out a payment plan in most situations.

The Newport Beach, Orange County, California, Law Office of Keith J. Bruno represents Californians who have been accused, charged, or arrested for criminal offenses in Orange County, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego.