Reckless Endangerment of a Child

Most people are aware that when they become a parent or guardian of a child, they have specific responsibilities to the dependents in their care. Most often, the parent must assume the role of teacher, provider, and protector of his or her children, and should always act with the safety of the children in mind. If a parent behaves in a negligent or reckless manner around the dependents, he or she may face criminal reckless endangerment charges.

Many parents understand their responsibilities and make sure that their actions are always in the best interest of the child. This involves participating in safe activities, operating their cars and other vehicles with care, and making sure that the children are supervised at all times. By taking the natural steps to care and supervise their children, parents can make sure that the dependents are safe from harm.

Reckless endangerment charges may be filed against guardians who fail to observe laws and regulations when the children are present. Potential causes for reckless endangerment charges may include:

Engaging in illegal activity when the children are present

Driving in a dangerous manner

Leaving the children unattended for a long period of time

Failure to supervise children and allowing serious injury to occur

Using illegal drugs while children are present

Driving while intoxicated with children in the vehicle

Leaving loaded weapons in the presence of minors

Although most people understand that dangerous actions and behavior that put children at risk will carry legal consequences, some do not understand how large a responsibility having children really is. Parents cannot leave their children unattended in vehicles while they run errands, nor should they engage in activity that is dangerous or illegal if they have children present. Such rules should be common sense to most people, but cases often arise showing that some individuals do not understand their role as parents or guardians.

Unfortunately, people may be unfairly accused of reckless endangerment. In some spousal disputes, one individual may attempt to cast aspersions on the other person’s character by alleging reckless endangerment. In other cases, the situation may be very vague or may not necessarily fit the criminal charge placed on the person responsible. In any event, if a person is charged with reckless endangerment, he or she has the right to defend themselves in a court of law.

If you would like to know more about reckless endangerment and criminal defense, visit the website of the Austin criminal defense attorneys of Ian Inglis.