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    Greenwich Risk of Injury to Minor Arrests

    Risk of Injury to a Minor under C.G.S. 53-21 can have severe consequences that go far beyond the courtroom. You may not be aware of this, but an arrest in Greenwich Connecticut for Risk of Injury to a Minor, under C.G.S § 53-21, is a felony in Connecticut. Moreover, certain Greenwich Connecticut Risk of Injury arrests that allege improper sexual contact carry penalties such as mandatory jail time and national sex offender registration. Lastly, and as the best Greenwich Connecticut DCF investigation lawyers and attorneys appreciate, an arrest in Greenwich Connecticut for Risk of Injury / Child Endangerment almost always leads to an immediate Greenwich Connecticut DCF investigation. So if you’ve been arrested in Greenwich Connecticut for Risk of Injury to a Minor, it’s critical that you contact a top Greenwich Connecticut criminal lawyer attorney to fight your Greenwich Risk of Injury to a Minor arrest and also fight your Greenwich Connecticut DCF investigation. Risk of Injury charges should not be held over your head for too long, as it will affect your ability to find employment as well as hamper your ability to coach your child’s sports team, or be a boy or girl scout leader for your child. As a result, you should contact a top Greenwich Connecticut criminal lawyer to find out how to get your Risk of Injury arrest dismissed and Greenwich Connecticut DCF investigation closed as soon as possible.

    Risk Of Injury Arrests in Greenwich – Definitions & Penalties

    As the best Greenwich Connecticut criminal attorneys and lawyers know, the Risk of Injury to a Minor statute in Connecticut has two subsections: one which protects the morals and general health of minor children, and one which protects children against improper sexual contact. Top Greenwich Connecticut criminal lawyers appreciate the importance of building a strong defense to Greenwich Connecticut Risk of Injury arrests, especially if you have children of your own or work with children in any professional or volunteer capacity. Click here for more information on the Connecticut Risk of Injury statute and the most cost-effective ways to fight your Greenwich Risk of Injury arrests.

    The Most Common Greenwich Risk of Injury Arrests: Non-Sexual Contact & Placing Children in Harm’s Way

    The first subsection of Risk of Injury to a Minor, C.G.S. § 53-21(a)(1), is extremely broad, prohibiting any person from (1) causing a child under 16 years old to be placed in danger of physical harm or (2) compromising a child’s mental, moral, or physical well-being. Because of this far-reaching, overbroad language, a wide range of conduct can lead to a Greenwich Connecticut arrest for Risk of Injury. For example, Greenwich police can pile on a Risk of Injury charge if you’re arrested for committing another crime while your child is present, such as shoplifting, domestic violence, or DWI / DUI / OUI. Other common Greenwich Connecticut Risk of Injury arrests include leaving your child unsupervised in your car with no supervision, or administering excessive discipline upon your child. Very often, those arrested for Risk of Injury in Greenwich Connecticut never intend to harm their children or place them in danger. These are the Greenwich Risk of Injury arrests that need to be dismissed. Click here to read more on how Connecticut police often tack on a Greenwich Connecticut Risk of Injury to a Minor felony charge to a Greenwich Connecticut domestic violence arrest.

    Risk of Injury – Sexual Contact with Intimate Parts Arrests in Greenwich

    The second subsection of the Connecticut Risk of Injury to a Minor law, C.G.S. § 53-21(a)(2), prohibits any person from having contact with the intimate parts of a child under 16 years old in a sexual or indecent manner. Per Connecticut’s criminal laws, “intimate parts” include inner thighs, genital areas, buttocks, and groin. Because of the broad language of this subsection of the statute, top Greenwich Connecticut Risk of Injury criminal lawyers and attorneys frequently caution parents and other caregivers to be careful around children under 16, as even seemingly innocent horseplay or bath-time fun can result in a Greenwich Risk of Injury arrest. Greenwich Police youth detectives who investigate Greenwich Connecticut Risk of Injury arrests (also known as Greenwich Connecticut Special Victims Unit (SVU) detectives) have wide discretion when making arrests and often would rather let Risk of Injury arrests be dealt with in Stamford Superior Court than take a chance on a close call and not submit an arrest warrant application to state prosecutors. In fact, the best Greenwich Connecticut criminal lawyers and attorneys will tell you that if you are arrested in Greenwich Connecticut for Sexual Assault in the Second Degree (more commonly known as “statutory rape”), it will likely be paired with a Risk of Injury arrest. Click here for more information on Greenwich Connecticut statutory rape arrests and Second Degree Sexual Assault arrests in Connecticut.

    What are the Penalties for a Greenwich Risk of Injury to a Minor Arrest?

    A Greenwich Connecticut Risk of Injury arrest is a serious felony charge, which can carry a maximum of 20 years in jail, probation, and fines of up to $15,000. If you are convicted of having contact with the intimate parts of a child under the age of 16, then you likely will also face a period of sex offender probation and registration as a sex offender on the national sex offender registry. Further, if the victim is under 13 years old and you are convicted in Greenwich Connecticut of Risk of Injury for having contact with that child’s intimate parts, you will face a mandatory jail sentence of five years. With such stiff jail sentences and lifetime sex offender registration on the line, you should contact a top Greenwich Connecticut criminal lawyer to assess your case and help you craft the best defense strategy for your Greenwich Connecticut Risk of Injury arrest.

    Risk of Injury Arrests Automatically Trigger a DCF Investigation

    A Greenwich Connecticut arrest for Risk of Injury to a Minor almost always initiates a referral to the Connecticut Department of Children & Families, more commonly known as “DCF.” Police officers, school teachers, therapists, coaches, and nannies are all considered “mandated reporters” who are required by law to report suspected abuse or neglect of a child to DCF. A referral from a mandated reporter—no matter how minor, and no matter how unbelievable—results in a formal DCF investigation or assessment within a very short period of time (sometimes 12 hours). A Greenwich Connecticut DCF investigation takes place simultaneously with, and separately from, a police investigation and criminal court case, which can be overwhelming for anyone arrested for Risk of Injury to a Minor in Greenwich Connecticut. Typically, a DCF investigator or case worker will reach out to you and your family by letter, phone or may just show up unannounced at your front door. They will also try and get in touch with your child’s teachers and doctors, and sometimes will even go behind your back to your child’s school to interview your children. The best Greenwich Connecticut DCF lawyers and attorneys will work with DCF on your behalf, run interference for you and your family, and will try to get them to stand down and stop interfering with your child’s life. Follow this link to learn more about fighting Greenwich Connecticut DCF Investigations.

    Can I Get Arrested in Greenwich for Leaving my Child Unsupervised in My Car?

    The top Greenwich Connecticut criminal lawyers frequently see arrests in Greenwich Connecticut for parents or other caregivers leaving children alone and unsupervised in a vehicle – often while they run into a store to run a quick errand. While we all know a verbal warning would suffice, Greenwich police sometimes escalate these situations and arrest parents for felony Risk of Injury to a Minor under 53-21 for leaving their child unsupervised in a car in Greenwich, Connecticut. In a likely response to the heavy-handedness of a felony arrest in Connecticut for leaving your child in a car unsupervised, Connecticut created another criminal law—Leaving a Child Unsupervised in a Car under CGS 53-21a, which is usually a misdemeanor. A Greenwich Connecticut arrest for Leaving a Child Unsupervised in a Car under 53-21a can also be raised to a felony, depending on the time of night your child is found unsupervised in a car. To learn more about how to fight your arrest in Greenwich Connecticut for Leaving your Child Unsupervised in a Car, click here .

    Contact a Greenwich Attorney for Your Risk of Injury Arrest Today

    A Risk of Injury to a Minor arrest in Greenwich Connecticut involves many moving parts, each resulting in serious penalties if not handled properly. The team of experienced Greenwich Connecticut criminal lawyers at Mark Sherman Law are able to untangle complicated Risk of Injury arrests, and shut down the corresponding DCF investigations. Thus, it’s worth a call to the team of Greenwich Connecticut criminal attorneys at Mark Sherman Law if you’ve been arrested for Risk of Injury in Greenwich Connecticut. Knowing how detrimental and stressful a Greenwich Risk of Injury arrest can be for your personal and professional lives, our goal will be to get your case dismissed and your DCF investigation closed in the most expedited and cost-effective manner possible. We are available 24/7  to discuss your case. Call us today.