Leaving a Child in a Vehicle in Texas — Criminal Charges and Defense

Defense Strategies

• Duration challenge. The statute requires the child to be left for longer than 5 minutes. If the absence was 5 minutes or less, the statutory offense is not established.
• Knowledge challenge. The prosecution must prove the defendant knew the child was under 7 and knew they were leaving the child unattended. In some cases, a parent may have believed another caregiver was present or was not aware the child had entered the vehicle.
• Forgotten Baby Syndrome. In tragic hot-car cases, the defense may involve expert testimony on “forgotten baby syndrome” which is a well-documented phenomenon in which a change in routine causes a parent’s brain to lose awareness that their child is in the vehicle. This is not a “bad parent” problem. It is a neurological phenomenon that can happen to anyone, and understanding the science is essential to both the defense and the mitigation.
• Challenging the escalated charge. When prosecutors escalate from a Class C misdemeanor to a felony, Doug evaluates whether the evidence actually supports the more serious charge. The mental state required for injury to a child or endangerment is a higher bar than the base offense.
• Mitigation is critical in these cases. The defendant is typically a parent who is devastated by what happened. Comprehensive mitigation that presents the defendant’s character, parenting history, and the circumstances that led to the incident can profoundly influence prosecutorial decisions and sentencing outcomes.

Protect Your Future — Contact Deandra Grant Law Today

If you or someone you love is facing criminal charges involving a child in Texas, contact Deandra Grant Law for a free, confidential consultation. Attorney Douglas Huff has defended clients against serious criminal charges throughout his career. Our firm’s forensic science credentials and 30+ years of criminal defense experience mean you get a level of defense that most firms cannot provide.