Camden County NJ Endangering the Welfare of a Child Lawyer
Sex Crimes Defense Attorney with offices in Collingswood, New Jersey
The criminal defense lawyers at The Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall represents clients charged with a range of sexual offenses including aggravated sexual assault, criminal sexual contact, lewdness, and promoting prostitution. In fact, Mr. Marshall has had a number of sex crimes trials over the years and is highly experienced in handling these very sensitive cases. Our firm focuses on the investigation process and employs the services of a retired New Jersey State trooper to gather evidence, write reports, and take witness statements if necessary. Further, one of our attorneys previously worked with the sex crimes unit at the United States Attorney’s Office. Our criminal defense team will sit down with you and draft a comprehensive defense strategy to combat these serious charges. Don’t let these charges (or even the accusation) ruin your life, contact The Law Offices of Jonathan F. Marshall immediately for a free initial consultation at 877-450-8301.
Endangering the Welfare of a Child in New Jersey
The New Jersey statute which governs endangering the welfare of a child is N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4. The statute provides, in pertinent part:
§ 2C:24-4. Endangering the Welfare of a Child
Any person having a legal duty for the care of a child or who has assumed responsibility for the care of a child who engages in sexual conduct which would impair or debauch the morals of the child, or who causes the child harm that would make the child an abused or neglected child as defined in R.S. 9:6-1, R.S. 9:6-3 and P.L. 1974, c. 119, § 1 is guilty of a crime of the second degree. Any other person who engages in conduct or who causes harm as described in this subsection to a child under the age of 16 is guilty of a crime of the third degree.
Endangering Child Welfare Penalties in New Jersey
Endangering the welfare of a child is a serious criminal offense in New Jersey. Depending on the circumstances, the charge can be classified as a first, second, third, or fourth degree crime. An experienced criminal defense lawyer can examine the facts of your case and attempt to have the charges downgraded to a lower offense.These distinctions significantly impact the likelihood of probationary treatment versus a state prison sentence, as well as the length of said sentence. For a first or second degree crime, there is a presumption of incarceration even if the defendant has no prior criminal history. By contrast, for a third or fourth degree offense, there is a presumption of non-incarceration for those individuals with no prior criminal record. Thus, on a third or fourth degree offense, probation is a potential and even likely outcome. Moreover, a conviction for endangering the welfare of a child can lead to Megan’s Law registration and/or community supervision for life.
First Degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child: punishable by a term of incarceration ranging from 10 to 20 years in New Jersey State Prison
Second Degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child: punishable by a term of incarceration ranging from 5 to 10 years in New Jersey State Prison
Third Degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child: punishable by a term of incarceration ranging from 3 to 5 years in New Jersey State Prison
Fourth Degree Endangering the Welfare of a Child: punishable by a maximum term of incarceration of 18 months in New Jersey State Prison
Contact our Gloucester NJ Child Endangerment Lawyers for a Free Consultation
Our criminal defense lawyers are available anytime for a free initial consultation at 877-450-8301.
