Lake Worth Woman Charged With Child Abuse After Spat With Cops

Lake Worth Woman Charged With Child Abuse After Spat With Cops

A Florida woman is under arrest for child abuse, after allegedly got into a heated argument with police before driving off in her car, causing her 7-year-old son to bang on the window, screaming and crying, according to The Palm Beach Post.

West Palm Beach child abuse charges can lead to jail time, but also can include child custody issues and involvement of the Florida Department of Children & Families.

On the criminal charges, an experienced West Palm Beach criminal defense attorney is needed to ensure that all facets of the case are explored. While police may report their side of the facts, there is always another side and the truth sometimes is in the middle.

While news reports may be negative toward a defendant initially, keep in mind, you’re only hearing one side of the story. Police officers write their reports after only a few hours of investigation and sometimes don’t include vital facts that can show proof of innocence.

In this case, a 32-year-old woman was arrested and charged with child abuse, child neglect, resisting an officer with violence, battery on a law enforcement officer, reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident with damage.

According to the news report, the woman’s problems started when a police officer spotted an SUV sitting in a parking spot at a medical center. The officer noticed a boy inside, who told the officer that his mother was inside and would be back soon.

When the officer got the woman’s phone number from the boy, he called it. The woman told officers that there was nothing wrong with leaving her son in the vehicle. The officers and woman got into an argument, causing the boy to start crying.

The woman then told her son to get back into the vehicle and after noticing that a police cruiser had blocked her in, she drove over a curb, through a bush and over a sidewalk, police allege. Police later found the woman at another medical center in Palm Beach Gardens.

There, the woman was allegedly trying to get a nurse to administer a test to prove she wasn’t under the influence of narcotics. But she didn’t get the test after changing her mind. Officers found her there and got into a struggle with the woman while arresting her.

When parents are charged with offenses, they almost instantly will become involved with the state’s child welfare system. Often, allegations of abuse or neglect are overblown by DCF investigators, who aren’t trained as police officers are.

Yet, allegations from these social workers can lead to criminal charges. A person can be forced to endure many headaches throughout the process.

From a criminal perspective, the goals are to try to get the charges dropped, win at trial or come to a successful plea agreement with prosecutors in order to minimize the possible penalties. When child welfare agencies are investigating, though, the effects on a person’s custody must also be taken into consideration.

If you are arrested in Fort Lauderdale or elsewhere in South Florida, contact Leifert & Leifert at 954-523-9600 or 561-988-8000 for a free consultation.

Additional Resources:

Police arrest suburban Lake Worth woman after she leaves son, 7, in SUV then yells at cops, by Cynthia Roldan, The Palm Beach Post

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