Orlando Child Abuse Lawyer
Child abuse is one of the scariest offenses in Florida. It’s also one of the easiest ones to successfully resolve. Typically, authorities only remove children from their homes as a last resort. Even then, they usually try to place the children with relatives and give the legal parents an opportunity to improve their parenting skills. But many things could go sideways in these cases, especially since many prosecutors are very aggressive in this area.
The hard-working Orlando child abuse lawyers at Joshi Law Firm, PA hit the ground running in these situations. We usually begin by reviewing the state’s case and finding any holes it has. These holes usually involve a procedural flaw, like an unreliable anonymous tip. Or a substantive issue, generally a lack of evidence. Then, we leverage these flaws both in court and during pretrial negotiations.
Kinds of Abuse
When they prosecute child abuse cases, the state usually looks for extreme and repetitive conduct. Therefore, these prosecutions typically rely on circumstantial evidence, and they have some proof issues. That’s especially true in physical abuse cases. These cases are by far the most common kinds of child abuse prosecutions in Orange County.
Evidence in these cases usually includes witness testimony and medical records. Parents have a legal right to administer reasonable discipline. Furthermore, prosecutors must normally prove that the full or part-time caregiver intentionally abused a child. Therefore, the circumstantial evidence must be almost overwhelming in these cases.
Sexual abuse also happens. Normally, these allegations involve a physical act. It’s also a crime to force a child to witness sexual activities. Child pornography charges are a closely related matter. It’s usually illegal to either possess such pornography or entice a minor to produce it.
Neglect and emotional abuse are illegal as well. Intent is especially difficult to prove in neglect cases. What some people see as neglect is often related to economic circumstances. Additionally, to some people, not giving children what they want constitutes neglect. Legally, that’s usually not true. Emotional abuse is almost impossible to prove in court, at least beyond any reasonable doubt.
Resolving Child Abuse Claims
As mentioned, authorities rarely remove children from households. Therefore, our Orlando child abuse lawyers frequently obtain pretrial diversion programs for caregivers.
Typically, these diversion programs require defendants to take a parenting class and complete some other program requirements. If there are additional allegations of substance abuse, the court often requires a drug treatment program. If the defendant successfully completes the program, prosecutors normally dismiss the case.
Such dismissals are important to obtain if possible. A child abuse conviction is not something that any parents wants on a permanent record.
Reach Out to a Hard-Working Orange County Lawyer
Abuse allegations rarely end in removal proceedings. For a free consultation with an experienced child abuse lawyer in Orlando, contact the Joshi Law Firm, PA. Virtual and after-hours visits are available.
