Under C. This statute was created to lessen the severity of these offenses, which would have otherwise have been charged as risk of injury to a minor , a felony. This statute also provides for more strict penalties for anyone who leaves a child unattended in a motor vehicle or place of public accommodation from the hours of p. Leaving a child unattended in a very hot or cold vehicle in the extreme temperatures of summer of winter will often result in the more serious charge of risk of injury to a minor C.
Regrettably, this lower level offense only applies to motor vehicles and places of public accommodation, so if you leave a child under 12 unattended in another place, such as your home , you will face the more serious allegation of risk of injury to a minor or C. There are four different situations that this statute covers, and each one has a different level of punishment. To be found guilty of a violation of C. A woman is rushing to get all her shopping done and leaves her sleeping 8-year-old son in her car while she goes into a convince store to do some shopping.
A concerned citizen calls , and the police arrive to find the eight-year-old locked in the car. The woman could be charged with a violation of C. The same example as the above situation only it occurred between the hours of p. The woman could be charged with the more severe crime of C. A man is babysitting a year-old girl for his girlfriend for the evening while she is working a nightshift.
He takes the child to a local bar for dinner. He becomes slightly intoxicated and leaves the bar without taking the child with him. A concerned citizen calls , and the police come to safeguard the child.
The man could be charged with a violation of C. The number one defense to this crime is a lack of knowledge on the part of the parent or guardian. In circumstances where a child darts off in a split second of inattention, a defense lawyer can argue that the defendant did not act with the required level of knowledge.
