If the prosecuting attorney obtains a conviction against you on a child endangerment charge, you will likely face severe penalties. However, to secure a conviction in your case, the prosecutor must establish their legal burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt.
If the prosecutor cannot satisfy even one legal element of the underlying child endangerment charge, they cannot obtain a guilty finding or conviction against you.
If the court convicts you, a sentencing judge must impose penalties under the California Penal Code. For example, when a child endangerment charge involves the risk of severe bodily harm or death to the involved child, the prosecutor can bring the case as either a felony or a misdemeanor.
A felony conviction can result in six years in prison. However, a conviction on a misdemeanor child endangerment offense can lead to only one year in a Los Angeles County jail.
In addition to these potential penalties upon conviction, you might face various collateral consequences. For example, post-conviction, you may have difficulty finding a place to live or finding and keeping a job, given the prevalence of online criminal background checks.
Additionally, you may have difficulty obtaining admission to an educational institution, such as a college or university. Finally, the chances are you will suffer harm to your reputation – both personally and professionally.
Our legal team can represent you at a sentencing hearing in your case and pursue a lower penalty than the prosecuting attorney recommends. We can also work to eliminate – or at the very least lessen – the collateral consequences you ultimately experience due to your child endangerment conviction.