Washington County Court Judge F.A. Gossett, III, is the first to hear cases advanced to the court level. At that point, I could order a temporary protective - type order. If further investigation determines the children cannot be returned to their parents or guardian, a case is filed by they county or deputy county attorney. Some children are placed with foster families. We would want to err in judgment on the side of the child.
Penalties can be misdemeanors or felonies, depending on their severity.
As with investigations, many factors go into determining the guilt or innocence of someone who has been charged with child abuse. Admission or denial of an abuse charge can determine the direction of a case, Gossett said. Most cases he sees, however, are instances of neglect, which is typically harder to prove than abuse. In some cases, parents may be ordered to get counseling or take classes to teach them how to manage anger or other difficulties. But it will enforce a basic threshold of care and punish people when necessary.