Children are sometimes involved in criminal activity and may face serious felony charges. However, their parents may also be held liable for their acts. Parental liability starts from the age of eight and goes on till the age of majority. Parents might have lawsuits and sanctions if their children take part in serious crimes or damage someone else’s property. Parental liability can be divided into two parts; civil and criminal parental liability.
Parents are responsible for any property damage or other malicious activities done by their children. Such activities may lead to a civil parental liability charge for the parents. These charges are non-criminal, and the parents might have to financially compensate the victims. Civil parental liability is intended to encourage parents to supervise their children and ensure the victims of malicious crimes are compensated.
On the other hand, criminal parental liability is far more serious, and parents may face severe penalties. Parents of children involved in felony crimes may have to face jail time, hefty fines as well as compensation. The prosecution can argue that the parents were neglectful of their child, which lead to an unfortunate felony crime. In recent years, parents have also been held responsible for Internet crimes and other online offenses committed by their children.
Parental liability is a serious and complicated offense. If you are facing these charges, it is advisable to hire an experienced family attorney to defend you. The attorney will explain the laws for you, and come up with a defense strategy that may help protect you as well as your child.
