Child Abuse / Neglect
Due to the Florida Department of Children and Family Services’ obligation to investigate allegations of child neglect or abuse, and the court’s tendency to err on the side of the alleged victim, charges for child abuse or neglect can be brought forth easily – whether or not they are unfounded. In addition to this tendency toward alleged victim bias, the prosecution can just as easily use nonscientific evidence such as story inconsistencies as they can scientific evidence or facts like those obtained in an independent medical examination.
Considering allegations of child abuse or neglect are often used as weapons in volatile family situations, it is important to adequately protect yourself against these charges. Though you may want to try and plead your case with the prosecution, it is best not to as anything you say or do may be used against you in court. Instead, working with an experienced domestic violence defense attorney in Hernando County can help ensure your rights are protected and that the best favorable outcome for your case is aggressively pursued.
Brooksville Child Abuse and Neglect Defense Lawyer
A conviction for child abuse or neglect can have huge ramifications on your life. If you have been arrested on allegations of child abuse or neglect in Spring Hill, Brooksville, Timber Pines, Homosassa Springs, Floral City, Bushnell, or anywhere else in Hernando County, Citrus County, or Sumter County, begin your defense immediately by contacting The Law Office of Ashley Aulls, P.A. as soon as possible after your arrest.
Ashley Aulls is a skilled and knowledgeable Brooksville criminal defense attorney who has practiced law since 1996. This special combination of criminal defense and family law experience gives Ashley Aulls a unique understanding of your situation and how to adequately defend your rights and future from a conviction for child neglect or child abuse in the Hernando County area.
To find out more about what The Law Office of Ashley Aulls, P.A. can do for your Spring Hill area child abuse or neglect case, call (352) 593-4115 today and schedule your initial case consultation.
Florida Child Abuse and Neglect Defined
Child abuse and neglect in Florida are defined and governed by Fla. Stat. § 827.03. According to this law, child neglect is a caregiver’s omission or failure to provide a child with the care, supervision, and services necessary to maintain the child’s physical and mental health. This is including, but is not limited to, food, nutrition, clothing, shelter, supervision, medicine, and medical services that a prudent person would consider essential to the well-being or the child. Child neglect is also when a caregiver fails to make a reasonable effort to protect a child from abuse, neglect, or exploitation by another person.
Child abuse is considered to be one of three things under Florida law: the intentional infliction of physical or mental injury on a child, an intentional act that could reasonably be expected to result in such mental or physical injury to a child, or the active encouragement of any person to commit an act that could reasonably result or does result in mental or physical injury to the child. In Florida, a person is considered a child if they are under 18 years of age. While child abuse and neglect laws are indeed there to protect the children of Florida, sometimes an investigator can assume too much and jump to conclusions when he or she finds a suspicious mark.
Additionally, complicated family matters can result in a false allegation. Often, law enforcement and prosecutors would rather be safe than sorry in child abuse or neglect cases and err on the side of the alleged victim. This makes it extremely important for you to protect your rights and your future from conviction. An experienced Hernando County child abuse defense lawyer could be the difference between dropped charges and the serious consequences of conviction.
Consequences for Hernando County Child Abuse or Child Neglect
What consequences you face as an alleged child neglect or child abuse offender varies both according to the offense and by the amount of injury you allegedly caused. Child neglect without great bodily harm, permanent disability, or permanent disfigurement is a third-degree felony punishable by a maximum of five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. For child abuse that does not cause great bodily harm, permanent disability, or permanent disfigurement, the offense is also a third-degree felony.
Child neglect that does result in great bodily harm, permanent disability, or permanent disfigurement is a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison and/or up to a $10,000 fine. First-degree felony child abuse is when the abuse results in great bodily harm, permanent disability, or permanent disfigurement to the child, when a person commits aggravated battery on a child, or when a person willfully tortures, maliciously punishes, or willfully and unlawfully cages a child. First-degree felony child abuse in Florida comes with a maximum of 30 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
All felonies in Florida come with additional sanctions like the loss of certain civil rights (such as the right to vote) and the inability to pursue certain educational and professional opportunities. Additionally, the social stigma that comes with a child abuse or neglect conviction could seriously impact many areas of your life. An experienced Brooksville child abuse defense attorney can fight to protect your rights and your future from a conviction for child abuse or neglect in the Hernando County area.
The Law Office of Ashley Aulls, P.A. | Defense Attorney for Hernando County Child Abuse and Neglect
If you have been arrested and charged on child neglect or child abuse in Brooksville, Spring Hill, Timber Pines, Brookridge, High Point, Hernando Beach, Inverness, Inverness Highlands, Beverly Hills, Hernando, Center Hill, Webster, the Villages, Dade City, Shady Hills, Hudson, or anywhere else in the Hernando, Citrus, Sumter, or Pasco County area, contact The Law Office of Ashley Aulls, P.A. as soon as possible after your arrest.
Ashley Aulls has handled criminal and family law cases, and therefore has a unique understanding of the intricacies of child abuse and neglect cases. Call (352) 593-4115 today and schedule a consultation.