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    Leaving a Child Under 16 in a Car—for Even 2 Minutes—Can Be a Felony Arrest in Connecticut

    Leaving a Child Under 16 in a Car—for Even 2 Minutes—Can Be a Felony Arrest in Connecticut

    Many of the best criminal lawyers in Stamford, Greenwich, New Canaan, Wilton and Darien Connecticut are never surprised to hear about arrests in Connecticut for leaving a child unsupervised in a motor vehicle. Connecticut police have wide discretion in classifying the arrest as a misdemeanor or felony arrest for Risk of Injury to a Minor under CGS 53-21. Anyone who leaves a child under 16 unsupervised in a motor vehicle—regardless of whether the car engine is off, whether the keys are or are not in the ignition, or whether it was only for 2 minutes—can face a felony or misdemeanor arrest in Connecticut.

    Sound unfair? That’s because it is. And if you’re one of the few, unfortunate people to get arrested in Stamford, Danbury or Norwalk Connecticut for Leaving a Child Unsupervised / Risk of Injury under C.G.S. 53-21, then keep reading to learn if and how you can get your Connecticut arrest dismissed quickly and cost-effectively…

    A Child in a Car Unsupervised for Even 2 Minutes is Too Long

    The days of leaving the kids in a car with an ipad for 2 minutes while you grab a cup of coffee or pick up the dry cleaning are over. Too many kids have suffocated and died in hot car accidents. Top criminal law firms in Stamford, Greenwich, Danbury, Darien and New Canaan Connecticut are seeing strict zero tolerance enforcement of these laws by local police. And what the top Connecticut Risk of Injury criminal lawyers and attorneys frequently hear from their clients is how can leaving my 13 year old home alone be legal but leaving my 15 year old in a car be illegal? You may not agree with them, but Connecticut legislators believe a child or teenager unsupervised in a car can either suffocate or freeze (especially if they’re helplessly strapped into a car seat and you forget they’re in the car or get unexpectedly held up), or a teenager may start fiddling with the driver controls and jeopardize their own safety or the safety of a third party driver or pedestrian. So if police arrest you in Connecticut for Risk of Injury or Leaving a Child Unsupervised in a Motor Vehicle, contact a top Connecticut criminal attorney or lawyer who can craft the most effective defense strategy designed to get these charges off your record and background checks.

    Public Shaming of Connecticut Risk of Injury Offenders

    When you are arrested in Stamford, Greenwich, Danbury, Darien or New Canaan Connecticut for Leaving Child Unsupervised in Motor Vehicle / Risk of Injury under CGS 53-21, the police—like clockwork—will release your arrest report and mug shot to the local online news media. They do this primarily to send a message to other parents—to deter other offenders from making the same mistake. But unfortunately the lesson to the public comes at a steep cost to your personal and professional reputations. The Mark Sherman Law Firm is one of the leading Connecticut law firms in the area of Connecticut internet scrubbing law. First, we’ll work with you to fight your Connecticut arrest for felony or misdemeanor Child Unsupervised in Car / Risk of Injury, and then we’ll go after the online news websites such as the Patch, Darien Times, Stamford Advocate, The Hour, and the Greenwich Time, to get your arrest reports and mugshot offline, and off Google searches. Click here for more on our trailblazing internet scrubbing practice.

    Why Did I Get Charged with Felony Risk of Injury and not Misdemeanor Leaving Child Unsupervised in Motor Vehicle?

    The best Connecticut criminal lawyers who regularly appear in the Stamford, Norwalk, Bridgeport and Danbury criminal courthouses frequently see parents, babysitters, and nannies “over-charged” by Connecticut police with felony Risk of Injury to a Minor under CGS 53-21 for leaving a child unsupervised in a car. The felony charge is especially damaging to finance, business, health care and education professionals who must undergo routine background checks in the course of their employment. And it’s particularly frustrating for top criminal lawyers in Danbury, Norwalk and Stamford Connecticut who know all too well that the arresting officers could have easily charged their clients with the less serious misdemeanor charge of Leaving a Child Unsupervised in a Motor Vehicle under CGS 53-21a. The inconsistency in the application of these laws is mostly due to police officers not fully understanding the law, in combination with the discretionary calls made by police at the arrest scene (depending on the length of time you’re accused of leaving your child unsupervised, the temperature in the car, your overall attitude and disposition with the police, and whether any injuries were sustained by the child or whether hospitalization was required). So be sure to contact a top Connecticut law firm in Danbury, Norwalk, Stamford or Bridgeport Connecticut if you’ve been arrested for leaving a child unsupervised in a car or risk of injury to a minor.

    Contact the Mark Sherman Law Firm Today

    Connecticut C.G.S. 53-21 arrests for Risk of Injury / Leaving Child Unsupervised in Motor Vehicle involve several moving parts, including the underlying criminal court case, a parallel DCF investigation, and the pressing need for online reputation management and internet scrubbing. The team of Connecticut criminal lawyers at Mark Sherman Law can handle each facet of your criminal case with the goal of getting your arrest dismissed as quickly as possible, clearing your name with DCF, and getting your arrest reports offline and off Google. So check out our Avvo.com certified reviews from our former clients, and give us a call today at (203) 358-4700. We are available 24/7 to take your call.