Child Abuse in New Jersey

Child Abuse Defense Lawyer Representing Clients in Passaic County and Throughout NJ

Alissa D. Hascup is a knowledgeable, successful criminal defense attorney who represents clients throughout New Jersey. Many of her clients have been charged with offenses against the family, including child abuse, sexual assault, and criminal mischief in Paterson, Passaic, Wayne, Totowa, Clifton, Morristown, Denville, Hackensack, and Newark.

She has successfully handled thousands of cases in New Jersey’s Superior Courts (indictable/felony level offenses) and Municipal Courts (disorderly persons/misdemeanor level offenses). Ms. Hascup is a former Assistant County Prosecutor, Special Deputy Attorney General, and Municipal Prosecutor, who prosecuted cases ranging from Attempted Murder to Terroristic Threats and Endangering the Welfare of a Child to Child Abuse, during the course of her distinguished prosecutorial career. Now she is fighting for you.

A conviction for child abuse can have serious, lasting consequences in the State of New Jersey. Ms. Hascup understands that situations involving allegations of child abuse need to be handled quickly and effectively. She is an aggressive defense lawyer who will attack the charges and put you in a position to achieve the best possible result.

Contact Ms. Hascup’s office anytime for an initial consultation, which is always provided free of charge.

Child Abuse in New Jersey: N.J.S.A. 9:6-3

Child Abuse is codified under N.J.S.A. 9:6-3, which provides:

Any parent, guardian or person having the care, custody or control of any child, who shall abuse, abandon, be cruel to or neglectful of such child, or any person who shall abuse, be cruel to or neglectful of any child shall be deemed to be guilty of a crime of the fourth degree.

Abuse, Abandonment, Cruelty, and Neglect, are defined in N.J.S.A. 9:6-2, which provides:

Abuse of a child shall consist of any of the following acts: (a) disposing of the custody of a child contrary to law; (b) employing or permitting a child to be employed in any vocation or employment injurious to its health or dangerous to its life or limb, or contrary to the laws of this State; (c) employing or permitting a child to be employed in any occupation, employment or vocation dangerous to the morals of such child; (d) the habitual use by the parent or by a person having the custody and control of a child, in the hearing of such child, of profane, indecent or obscene language; (e) the performing of any indecent, immoral or unlawful act or deed, in the presence of a child, that may tend to debauch or endanger or degrade the morals of the child; (f) permitting or allowing any other person to perform any indecent, immoral or unlawful act in the presence of the child that may tend to debauch or endanger the morals of such child; (g) using excessive physical restraint on the child under circumstances which do not indicate that the child’s behavior is harmful to himself, others or property; or (h) in an institution, willfully isolating the child from ordinary social contact under circumstances which indicate emotional or social deprivation.

Abandonment of a child shall consist of any of the following acts by anyone having the custody or control of the child: (a) willfully forsaking a child; (b) failing to care for and keep the control and custody of a child so that the child shall be exposed to physical or moral risk without proper and sufficient protection; (c) failing to care for and keep the control and custody of a child so that the child shall be liable to be supported and maintained at the expense of the public, or by child caring societies or private persons not legally chargeable with its or their care, custody and control.

Cruelty to a child shall consist of any of the following acts: (a) inflicting unnecessarily severe corporal punishment upon a child; (b) inflicting upon a child unnecessary suffering or pain, either mental or physical; (c) habitually tormenting, vexing or afflicting a child; (d) any willful act of omission or commission whereby unnecessary pain and suffering, whether mental or physical, is caused or permitted to be inflicted on a child; (e) or exposing a child to unnecessary hardship, fatigue or mental or physical strains that may tend to injure the health or physical or moral well-being of such child.

Neglect of a child shall consist of any of the following acts, by anyone having the custody or control of the child: (a) willfully failing to provide proper and sufficient food, clothing, maintenance, regular school education as required by law, medical attendance or surgical treatment, and a clean and proper home, or (b) failure to do or permit to be done any act necessary for the child s physical or moral well-being. Neglect also means the continued inappropriate placement of a child in an institution with the knowledge that the placement has resulted and may continue to result in harm to the child s mental or physical well-being.

A crime of the fourth degree is punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to 18 months in New Jersey State Prison.

Contact an Experienced Passaic New Jersey Child Abuse Defense Lawyer

The Child Abuse statute is complicated and a resulting conviction can be serious. Should you find yourself in a situation where you or a loved one have been charged with Child Abuse. Alissa D. Hascup can help. Call or email Ms. Hascup to request your free, initial consultation about your charges.