What to Do When You Are Being Investigated for Child Abuse

Protecting Your Rights in a Maryland Child Abuse Case

What to Do When You Are Being Investigated for Child AbuseWhen you are under investigation for any type of child abuse—physical, emotional, sexual or simply neglect—you need to be particularly careful about what you say or do, as innocent statements can be taken out of context and used against you. The most important thing you need to do when you learn that you are a target of a child abuse investigation is immediately hire knowledgeable and experienced legal counsel to protect your rights.

  • Immediately hire an experienced child abuse defense attorney—You want someone who has successfully handled these types of claims before, who knows what to expect, and who can take the right steps to minimize the impact of an investigation or arrest. Your lawyer will also know the best way to investigate your case and find evidence to contradict the allegations against you.
  • Don’t talk to anyone without your lawyer present—That includes police officers, detectives and anyone from the Department of Social Services. Under the U.S. Constitution, you have the right to remain silent, as well as the right to have your attorney present for any questioning.
  • Don’t try to talk to the alleged victim or his/her parents—You may think it’s all a misunderstanding and that you can clear it up with a simple conversation. That doesn’t happen very often. In fact, what often happens is that you make what you think is an innocent statement that comes back to haunt you.

Proven Montgomery Child Abuse Defense Attorney

Attorney Jonathan Scott Smith has more than 40 years of experience protecting the rights of criminal defendants across the Baltimore metropolitan area and the state of Maryland, including people charged with misdemeanors or felonies. He has been received an AV-rating (the highest rating possible) under Martindale-Hubbell’s Peer Review Rating System from his colleagues in the Maryland bar for more than three decades. He has been ranked among the top 100 lawyers in Maryland listed by SuperLawyers and was named a Top-Rated Lawyer by The American Lawyer Magazine. He has also earned Martindale-Hubbell’s Client Distinction Award, awarded to less than 4% of all lawyers nationwide.

Over the past four decades, attorney Smith has successfully protected the rights of individuals facing all types of criminal charges, including prosecution for domestic violence or abuse. He will work hard to protect your constitutional rights, fully investigating your case to verify that law enforcement officers and prosecutors follow proper procedures when gathering evidence. He’ll question all potential witnesses and preserve all relevant evidence, so that he can prepare and present the most compelling arguments for your acquittal.

Attorney Smith has been listed among the top 100 attorneys in Maryland by the National Trial Lawyers Association, a “by invitation only” professional organization. He holds a 10.0 (Superb) rating as a trial attorney from AVVO, as well as AVVO’s Client’s Choice Award, with an average client review of 5 stars.

Aggressive Maryland Child Neglect and Abuse Lawyer

Contact our office by e-mail or call 410-740-0101 for a free initial consultation. We represent criminal defendants in Carroll County, Frederick County, Howard County, Baltimore County, Prince George’s County and Montgomery County in Maryland.

What Constitutes Child Abuse in Maryland

The Different Types of Child Abuse

What Constitutes Child Abuse in Maryland?In Maryland, an adult may be charged with child abuse for a variety of reasons. State law defines child abuse to involve “physical injury” suffered by a person under the age of 18 as a consequence of cruel or inhumane treatment. Child abuse can also be charged where the child’s health or welfare was either harmed or threatened by a malicious act. To constitute child abuse, the act must be intentional.

Maryland identifies four different types of child abuse:

  • Child physical abuse, where a parent or guardian inflicts an intentional injury on the minor. Typical claims involve hitting, kicking or shoving a child, as well as throwing objects at or using objects to cause physical harm or injury
  • Child emotional abuse, where a parent or guardian intentionally communicates with a minor in ways that cause feelings of worthlessness, fear or lack of desirability
  • Child sexual abuse, which includes intentional sexual contact or behavior with or in the presence of a minor
  • Child neglect, where a parent or guardian engages in a pattern of intentionally failing to provide a child with the basic necessities of life, including food, hydration, shelter and medical care

Proven Maryland Child Abuse Defense Attorney

Attorney Jonathan Scott Smith has protected the rights of criminal defendants in Maryland for more than 40 years, including people charged under Maryland law with child abuse. SuperLawyers has named him one of the top 100 lawyers in Maryland and The American Lawyer Magazine has also cited him as a Top-Rated Lawyer.

Attorney Smith has been AV-rated (the highest possible) by his colleagues in the legal profession under Martindale-Hubbell’s Peer Review Rating System for more than three decades. He has also received Martindale-Hubbell’s prized Client Distinction Award, an accolade earned by less than 4% of all attorneys nationwide. He carries a 10.0 (Superb rating) as a trial lawyer from AVVO and has also earned AVVO’s Client’s Choice Award, with an average client review of 5 stars.

A well-known and respected trial attorney, Jonathan has a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of Maryland criminal law and procedure. He knows how to effectively gather and preserve evidence and will take all necessary measures to ensure that law enforcement officers did not violate your constitutional rights.

Contact an Experienced Baltimore County Child Abuse Defense Lawyer

At the law offices of Jonathan Scott Smith, we aggressively advocate for criminal defendants throughout the greater Baltimore area and across the state of Maryland, including people charged with any type of child abuse. Contact our office by e-mail or call 410-740-0101 to arrange a meeting. We handle cases throughout Anne Arundel County, Carroll County, Frederick County, Howard County, Baltimore County, Prince George’s County and Montgomery County in Maryland.

Child Abuse in Maryland

How Does Maryland Law Address Maltreatment of Minors?

Child Abuse in MarylandUnder the criminal statutes in Maryland, it is against the law to emotionally or physically abuse minors. The covered forms of abuse include improper sexual conduct. Furthermore, certain professionals and third parties, such as social workers and medical personnel, are required by law to report actual knowledge or even reasonable suspicion of child abuse.

Child abuse is defined as “physical or mental injury of a child under circumstances that indicate the child’s health or welfare is harmed or is at substantial risk of being harmed.” Telltale signs that a child has been subjected to illegal abuse include the following:

  • Tentative or nervous behavior where the child is consistently withdrawn, fearful, or worried that something bad is going to happen;
  • Unexplained and frequent cuts, bruises, or other injuries, particularly bruises that have patterns or are repeatedly in the same place; or
  • An unwillingness by the child to touch or come in close contact with others.

The Consequences of Arrest and Conviction

Child abuse is a felony in Maryland and can result in significant fines, incarceration, and a permanent criminal record. A conviction also may result in a court order denying access to minor children or allowing only supervised contact with minor children.

Experienced Baltimore County Child Abuse Defense Attorney

Attorney Jonathan Scott Smith has fought for the rights of criminal defendants throughout the metropolitan Baltimore area and across Maryland for more than 35 years. He has been named a Top-Rated Lawyer by The American Lawyer magazine and received AVVO’s prestigious Client’s Choice Award, averaging 5 stars (the highest rating possible) in all client reviews. A longtime Maryland SuperLawyer, he’s also highly regarded by his colleagues in the legal profession, with an AV-rating from other lawyers under Martindale-Hubbell’s Peer Review System. Attorney Smith also has earned a perfect 10.0 (Superb) rating as a litigator from AVVO. Attorney Smith takes a strong approach to the defense of any criminal charge, aggressively representing clients throughout the legal process, from investigation and arrest to arraignment and trial. He’ll verify that law enforcement officers had probable cause and confirm that your constitutional rights were safeguarded. A proven trial attorney, he’ll carefully investigate the facts and circumstances of your case in order to make the most persuasive arguments before a judge and jury.

Baltimore County Criminal Defense Lawyer

Contact experienced Maryland criminal defense attorney Jonathan Scott Smith by email or call us at 410-740-0101 to set up an appointment. We handle drug possession prosecutions in Howard County, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Frederick County, Prince George’s County, and Montgomery County in Maryland.

ADDRESS :

  • Jonathan Scott Smith 10490 Little Patuxent Parkway, Suite 200 ,Columbia, MD 21044-4960

  • Call for consultation 410-740-0101