Houston Injury to Child Defense Attorney

Injury to a Child Lawyer in the City of Houston, TX, Defends the Rights and Reputation of Clients Facing Child Abuse or Neglect Charges in Harris County, Fort Bend County, Montgomery County, and Throughout Texas

Have you been accused of a crime involving an injury to a child? Your reputation and freedom may be at stake if you are charged and prosecuted. Get the legal help you need to defend your interests. Reach out to a Houston injury to a child defense attorney from Chernoff Law. 

I am attorney Ed Chernoff, and for more than 35 years I’ve dedicated my legal career to the criminal justice system. I started out as one of the top prosecutors in the Harris County DA’s office. But in 1991, I chose to leave the prosecutor’s office and begin advocating on behalf of people who have been charged with crimes. In the 30-plus years that followed, I developed a reputation across Texas and nationwide for being a smart, tough advocate for clients and for having a proven reputation of success inside and outside the courtroom. 

Don’t put your reputation at risk if you have been charged with causing injury to a child. Reach out to my criminal defense law firm for a free case review to discuss your charges and your options with an injury to a child lawyer in the City of Houston, TX. My firm and I will work tirelessly to defend your interests and pursue a favorable outcome for your case. 

Chernoff Law Represents Clients Charged with Causing Injury to a Child

Section 22.04 of Title 5 of the Texas Penal Code lays out the crime of causing an injury to a child. The statute makes it illegal for a person to intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence commit an act or omission that causes a child to suffer:

• Serious bodily injury
• Serious mental deficiency, impairment, or injury
• Bodily injury

A person may be charged under the statute when they have a legal or statutory duty to act to protect the welfare of a child, or if the person has assumed care, custody, or control of a child, which the statute defines as a minor that is 14 years old or younger. 

Injury to a child can include:

• Child abuse
• Child neglect
• Child abandonment
• Infant abuse, including shaken baby syndrome
• Endangering a child’s safety, such as having a child in the presence of illegal drugs or giving illegal drugs to a child

Consequences of a Conviction for Causing Injury to a Child

The penalties imposed for a conviction for causing injury to a child depend on the degree of criminal intent that was involved and the degree of injury suffered by the child. If a child suffers serious bodily injury or serious mental injury or impairment that was caused intentionally or knowingly, the crime is graded as a first-degree felony; if it was caused recklessly, the offense is charged as a second-degree felony. 

Intentionally or knowingly causing bodily injury is charged as a third-degree felony, unless the child victim is a disabled individual residing in an institution in which case the offense is charged as a second-degree felony. 

Causing serious bodily injury, serious mental injury, or bodily injury to a child due to criminal negligence is charged as a state jail felony. 

Penalties for a conviction can include:

• State jail felony: State jail term of 180 days to two years, and a potential fine of up to $10,000
• Third-degree felony: Imprisonment for two to 10 years, and a potential fine of up to $10,000
• Second-degree felony: Imprisonment for two to 20 years, and a potential fine of up to $10,000
• First-degree felony: Imprisonment for life, or a term of 5 to 99 years, and a potential fine of up to $10,000

Let a Houston Injury to Child Defense Attorney Advocate on Your Behalf to Secure a Favorable Resolution to Your Charges

If you have been accused of causing injury to a child, you need experienced legal counsel that will defend your reputation and future. An injury to a child lawyer in the City of Houston, TX, can guide you through the criminal justice process. Turn to me and my firm for help with:

• Investigating your charges and securing evidence that can be used in your defense case
• Understanding the potential outcomes in your case and what you can expect at each stage of the prosecution
• Protecting your rights when law enforcement or investigators obtain evidence from you through an illegal search or unlawful questioning
• Pursuing the best possible outcome in your case, whether through negotiation of a plea deal that avoids maximum sentencing or by presenting a strong, persuasive case at trial if you choose to contest your charges or assert your innocence

Contact Chernoff Law to Discuss Your Legal Options in Your Case with an Injury to a Child Lawyer in the City of Houston, TX

Contact me today for a confidential consultation if you have been charged with a crime involving injury to a child. I can help you better understand how a Houston injury to child defense attorney can make a difference in the outcome of your criminal case. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Injury to a Child in Houston, TX