Child Endangerment Sentencing in California
Child Endangerment Sentencing and Punishment - Penal Code section 273a
A defendant who is found guilty of child endangerment under circumstances likely to produce great bodily harm, injury or death, then the defendant shall be punished by imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year, or in the state prison for two, four, or six years. This is known as a wobbler. A wobbler is when the prosecuting agency can either charge a defendant with a misdemeanor or a felony. A misdemeanor is punishable by less than one year of imprisonment and a felony is punishable by more than one year of imprisonment.
A defendant who is found guilty of child endangerment not under circumstances likely to produce great bodily harm, injury or death, then the defendant is guilty of a misdemeanor which is imprisonment in a county jail not exceeding one year.
If you're lucky, then a judge may grant probation, and under state law, the minimum conditions of probation are:
- Probation period of 48 months;
- A criminal court protective order protecting the victim from acts of violence or threats, and, if appropriate, residence exclusion or stay-away conditions; and
- Successful completion of no less than one year of a child abuser's treatment counseling program. The defendant shall produce documentation of program enrollment to the court within 30 days of enrollment, along with quarterly progress reports.
