 |
Speak Up! - View Question #168 |
|
| « LawForKids.org home page | « Go back to speak up question #168 |
Question: If a parent leaves a toddler in the car alone can they be arrested for child endangerment?
Answer: First - it is never safe to leave your child alone, under any circumstances. Whether it equates a crime depends on the circumstances, and different police officers could charge you with a variety of offenses, depending on those circumstances.
Leaving a child alone in a car would at minimum, be a violation of Arizona law (A.R.S. 13-2623). This law makes it a crime for a person to place a child in a situation where the health of the child is endangered. Depending on what exactly happens in the situation determines the punishment, that is, what degree of felony it is.
Keep in mind, if anything more severe occurs, for instance, the child is physically hurt in the process, you could be charged with additional crimes, such as assault.
|
|
| Comments |
| 1 thru 5 of 7 comments |
On 05/01/04
c.j. from PA said:
To those of you that think it's all right two leave a little kid in a car alone, even four just a few minutes, your not very smart in my opinion. my friends mom left her little brother, who was 7, in the car alone for 5 minutes. when she came back out he was gone. he was kidnapped. luckily they found him 3 days later, but by then some sick psycho had beat him up and raped him. You should NEVER leave a little kid alone in a car, I don't care for how long. every time you do you put that child in danger.
|
On 03/14/04
Tom from AZ said:
"First - it is never safe to leave your child alone, under any circumstances."
If you go to sleep, you have left your child alone. They can operate door knobs, stove knobs, hand guns and climb pool fences just as easily as put a car into drive.
Tom AZ
|
On 10/17/03
Deb from AZ said:
I agree with the woman below. I had to run to the grocery store and came back, ran inside to put the MILK in my refrigerator and came back. My sons car seat has a lock he cant undo himself, even if he was 5.
|
On 04/06/03
Kelly from AZ said:
Bravo to the children who believe that it is criminal to leave a toddler-age child alone in the car. If a parent needs to run in for a gallon of milk, take the child with you, or do without the milk. A toddler-age child is capable of getting out of a carseat and disengaging the car from park, which could result in an accident that could injure the child, as the child is no longer restrained. Nothing is more important than your child's safety, especially a gallon of milk. And to those of you who do not have children yet, please remember this when you do.
|
On 03/24/03
Hillary from NY said:
I guess neither of these commenters has ever needed to run into a store for 2 minutes to get a gallon of milk. While it may not be the best idea to leave any child alone for a long period of time I hardly think it is a criminal act. I hope these two other respondants never have a situation come up where they might have to change their tune.
|
| 1 thru 5 of 7 comments |
|
|
| Read more about the law and Other |
|
| « LawForKids.org home page | « Go back to speak up question #168 |
|