This is the next post in my series on the handling of child endangerment charges in Peoria, Illinois. My last article discussed what to expect at a child endangerment trial. It is important that you retain an experienced attorney to assist you if you or a family member are facing criminal charges. Retaining experienced counsel is important to ensuring that your rights are fully protected. In this article I will discuss the process of dealing with such charges when they are based on false allegations. If you require assistance then contact my office today to speak with a Peoria criminal defense lawyer.
I have previously discussed defending against domestic violence charges stemming from false allegations. As I discussed in that article, it is not uncommon for individuals to make false claims in an effort to gain leverage in child custody proceedings. This is due to the fact that, for obvious reasons, a Court would be unlikely to grant anything other than supervised visitation to someone who is convicted of such an offense. In order to fabricate such charges, an individual may make false accusations regarding drunk driving, drug abuse, abandonment, etc. If the police believe that there is probable cause that a crime has occurred, then they will make an arrest.
It is possible to gather evidence showing that the offense, in fact, has not occurred. Suppose, for example, that the mother of a child calls law enforcement claiming that the father just left her house, drunk, with the child in the car. She tells a story to the police which seems credible and the police make an arrest. The father claims, at his criminal trial, that he had driven straight from work to pick up the child and that he could not have been drunk. The father introduces his time records from work, which show that he got off of his shift a mere twenty minutes before picking up the child. Furthermore, several of the father’s co-workers testify that he was clearly not intoxicated at work. Finally, the father produces his bank records and financial information, which do not show any stops being made at a bar or restaurant. Under these circumstances, the jury may find that there is reasonable doubt as to whether or not the conduct occurred. It is important to remember, however, that the nature of the charges and the eventual outcome will always depend on the specifics of the matter.
If you or a family member have been charged with a crime then contact my office today to speak with a Peoria criminal defense lawyer. I understand the serious nature of such situations. My office is founded on the idea that everyone is entitled to effective representation and we will give your case the attention it deserves. Contact us online or by telephone to schedule an appointment. I also service the cities of Bloomington, Eureka, Galesburg, Morton, Normal, Pekin, Springfield, and Washington. I serve the counties of Fulton, Knox, LaSalle, Marshall, Mason, McLean, Putnam, Rock Island, Schuyler, Stark, Tazewell, and Woodford.