Source: https://www.shouselaw.com/child-neglect.html
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 16:59:52+00:00

Document:
Penal Code 270 PC is California's criminal law on “child neglect.” This crime is also known as “failure to provide care” for a child in California.
If a parent of a minor child willfully omits, without lawful excuse, to furnish necessary clothing, food, shelter or medical attendance, or other remedial care for his or her child, he or she is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars ($2,000), or by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding one year, or by both such fine and imprisonment.
A related section -- California Penal Code 270.1(a) -- makes it a crime for a parent to fail to monitor and enforce a child's school attendance.
Who is a parent under California law?
In rare cases, Penal Code 270 may be punished as a felony in California. This can occur if a parent fails to provide care after a court makes a determination that he/she is a parent. 9 This would happen, for instance, if the judge in a paternity suit determined that a man was a minor's father but the father still refused to provide necessities for the child.
A fine of up to two thousand dollars ($2,000).
Often, the judge in a California "failure to provide care" case will sentence the defendant to probation. Such probation can be misdemeanor (summary) probation or felony (formal) probation, as applicable.
If sentenced to probation, the defendant will serve little or no jail time.
But there will be conditions the defendant must comply with. Such conditions will usually include parenting classes and/or counseling.
If the parent fails to comply with any conditions imposed by the judge, the judge can schedule a probation violation hearing. If there is no lawful excuse for the violation, the judge can revoke probation and send the parent to jail.
Parents who cannot find work may have a legal defense to Penal Code 270, California's “child neglect” law.
1.1. What is a “necessity” for purposes of PC 270?
1.2. Who is a parent for purposes of PC 270?
Under California Penal Code 270 PC, parents can be sent to jail for failing to provide food for their children.
“Remedial care” may consist of spiritual treatment through prayer. So parents who don't believe in traditional medicine may use “faith healers” for their children.
1.2. Who is a parent under California law?
The defendant is married to and lives with the child's mother.
What if the husband is not the child's biological father?
The defendant is divorced from a parent with whom he has a child.
The defendant never married the child's other parent.
One-night stands can result in parental obligations under Penal Code 270.
Example: Todd and Sarah dated briefly. Sarah became pregnant. Todd asked Sarah to terminate the pregnancy, but Sarah refused. She never spoke to him again.
Years later, Todd learns from a mutual friend that Sarah had a son. He also learns that Sarah is addicted to methamphetamine and often fails to provide food and clothing for the child.
Todd decides it's better not to get involved. So he does nothing. Todd can be charged with neglect even though he has never met his son.
A person has legally adopted or otherwise assumed legal responsibility for the child.
California has various mechanisms for a person to assume the responsibilities of a parent.
Someone who has assumed such responsibilities is legally obligated to provide necessities for the child. Conversely, birth parents (or prior adoptive parents) can be legally relieved of such responsibility by court decree.
Does Penal Code 270 apply to an unborn child?
Example: Maria and Tom have four children. Maria can't work due to a medical condition. Tom works in a warehouse but is laid off when the economy goes into a recession.
Tom tries to find another job but can't get one. The family is evicted from their apartment and ends up living in a tent on a friend's property. They rely on food stamps and food banks to eat. But often there is no food for the children's dinner.
A teacher at the children's school notifies the police.27 Maria and Tom are charged with PC 270 child neglect. But they have a lawful excuse—lack of money through no fault of their own. Once they prove this to the prosecutor, she drops the charges.
When is a defendant at “fault” for not having money?
Example: Liz is a single mother with an eight-year-old daughter, Crystal. Liz works part-time as a cocktail waitress. Often before payday Liz does not have enough money to buy food. So Crystal goes without. When winter comes, Liz does not buy Crystal warm clothes. But she buys herself jewelry.
Izzy is Crystal's teacher. He knows about her situation at home and feels sorry for her. He often gives her lunch when she is hungry. He also gives her some of his son's old clothes.
Izzy takes care of Crystal because Liz chooses unreasonably to spend her money on something other than Crystal's care. So even though Crystal has everything she needs, Liz is still guilty of failing to provide care.
Under California PC 270, parents are legally obligated to provide care for their children before spending money on luxuries.
Under certain circumstances, Penal Code 270 becomes a California “wobbler” offense.31 A “wobbler” is a crime that can be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony, in the prosecutor's discretion.
PC 270 provides for wobbler penalties if a court previously ruled that the defendant is the child's parent. This most often occurs in a California paternity suit.
Example: Bruno and Nancy date each other briefly. Nancy becomes pregnant and gives birth to a girl she names Lacey. Bruno refuses to acknowledge the child as his and Nancy sues him for child support.
The court rules that Bruno is Lacey's father. But Bruno still refuses to pay support. He is then charged with failure to provide care to Lacey. Because of the prior court ruling, the prosecutor can charge Bruno with felony child neglect under California law.
The court's rationale is that harsh sentences would deter men from trying to establish paternity. It would also cause others to pay for child support (perhaps wrongly) rather than risk being judged a father and later charged with felony failure to provide support.
He has already been convicted at least once of failure to provide care.
In rare cases, California Penal Code 270 “child neglect” can be punished with felony penalties.
Legal defenses to failure to provide care usually revolve around lack of willfulness or lawful excuse. They may also focus on common legal defenses such as violation of California's search and seizure laws.
Below we discuss some of the more common legal defenses to charges of failure to provide necessities to a minor.
Unfortunately, parents are not immune to leveling unfounded accusations at an ex.
Perhaps a custodial parent wanted more money after a divorce. Perhaps a former partner was motivated by jealousy or revenge.
If so, an experienced California defense lawyer can often persuade the prosecutor to drop the charges.
This is especially likely when a so-called “mandated reporter” sees signs of what appears to be neglect.
A mandated reporter who fails to report abuse is guilty of a misdemeanor. 35Thus such people often report even the slightest suspicion of neglect.
A defendant can often counter these allegations with evidence of care provided to the minor or – in the case of a non-custodial parent -- an attempt to make such care.
Medical professionals, teachers, social workers and clergy are legally required to support suspected child abuse to the authorities in California.
The minor was conceived by artificial insemination without the defendant's written consent.
Not all parents believe in traditional medical care. Under Penal Code 270, a parent may initially seek alternative care (such as prayer or faith healing) for his/her child.
Note that this does not necessarily relieve the parent of all responsibility under the law.
Penal Code 192(b), California's law on “involuntary manslaughter” (if the child dies).
Faith healing” can be a lawful alternative to providing medical care for a minor in California, as long as the child does not become seriously ill.
The key to the “lawful excuse” defense is that the lack of financial means is caused through no fault of the defendant's own.
Forcing a boy to walk on his knees until his skin is raw.
Penal Code 273d is a California “wobbler” offense.
Penal Code 273a PC is California's “child endangerment” law. Unlike PC 273d child abuse, PC 273a does not require a physical injury or harm.
A mother leaves her with her heroin-addicted brother while she goes to the casino.
A father lets his toddler stand up in his convertible as he drives down Pacific Coast Highway with the top down.
A married couple cooks meth in their home while their 10-year old son is present.
Child endangerment is often charged along with PC 270 child neglect in California.
Child abduction differs from kidnapping in that it focuses on a different victim. The victim of a kidnapping charge is the minor who is taken. The victim of child stealing is the parent of the abducted minor.49 Thus these two charges are often brought together.
Custodial parents who interfere with a non-custodial parent's visitation rights.
(The "custodial" parent is one with legal custody of a child. A "non-custodial" parent is one who does not have legal custody, but may have visitation rights).
Penal Code 273.5 "corporal injury to a spouse or cohabitant,"
Penal Code 646.9, California's "stalking" law.
These crimes are often “wobbler” offenses that can be charged as either misdemeanors or felonies.
If you have been charged with child neglect, endangerment, or abuse, we invite you to contact us for a free consultation.
Call us at 855-LAWFIRM or complete the form on this page to discuss your case confidentially with an experienced California child neglect attorney.
We also have law offices in Las Vegas and Reno that may be able to help if you have been charged under Nevada's child abuse, neglect, and endangerment laws.
California child abuse and neglect reporting guidelines.
California child abuse hotline numbers by county.
California Penal Code 270 PC: “If a parent of a minor child willfully omits, without lawful excuse, to furnish necessary clothing, food, shelter or medical attendance, or other remedial care for his or her child, he or she is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars ($2,000), or by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding one year, or by both such fine and imprisonment. If a court of competent jurisdiction has made a final adjudication in either a civil or a criminal action that a person is the parent of a minor child and the person has notice of such adjudication and he or she then willfully omits, without lawful excuse, to furnish necessary clothing, food, shelter, medical attendance or other remedial care for his or her child, this conduct is punishable by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding one year or in a state prison for a determinate term of one year and one day, or by a fine not exceeding two thousand dollars ($2,000), or by both such fine and imprisonment. This statute shall not be construed so as to relieve such parent from the criminal liability defined herein for such omission merely because the other parent of such child is legally entitled to the custody of such child nor because the other parent of such child or any other person or organization voluntarily or involuntarily furnishes such necessary food, clothing, shelter or medical attendance or other remedial care for such child or undertakes to do so.
Same. See also Family Code 7540 and 7541.
See, e.g., Family Code 7822 FC. This law covers the termination of parental rights in cases of child abandonment or adoption.
Same. See also Walker v. Superior Court (1988) 253 Cal. Rptr. 1, 47 Cal. 3d 112, 763 P.2d 852.
California Penal Code 270 PC. See also California Criminal Jury Instructions (CALCRIM) 2981. Failure to Provide Care.
Walker v. Superior Court, endnote 7.
California Family Code 7540 FC.
CALCRIM 2981; Family Code 7541 FC.
California Health and Safety Code 1255.7 HS. This law makes it legal to surrender an infant to authorities within 72 hours of a child's birth without facing prosecution for child abandonment.
See Family Code 7822 FC, endnote 4.
See Family Code 7822, endnote 4.
Penal Code 7, subsection 1; CALCRIM 2981.
People v. Caseri (1933) 18 P.2d 389.
Teachers are “mandated reporters” who are legally required to report suspected cases of child abuse to the authorities in California. See Penal Code 11164 and subsequent sections, collectively known as California's "Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act."
Penal Code 270 PC; CALCRIM 2981. See also People v. Caseri, endnote 25.
Penal Code 270 PC; Penal Code 1203 PC.
See Penal Code 270 PC, endnote 1.
People v. Gregori (1983) 144 Cal.App.3d 353.
California's "Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act," Penal Code 11164 and subsequent sections.
People v. Caseri, endnote 25.
Walker v. Superior Court, endnote 10 (“[W]hen a child's health is seriously jeopardized, the right of a parent to rely exclusively on prayer must yield.”).
Penal Code 270; CALCRIM 2981.
People v. Campos (1982) 131 Cal.App.3d 894.
Same. See also Penal Code 278.6 PC.

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