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According to the California Department of Justice, there were 59,371 juveniles referred to probation in 2019, and the majority of those referrals were for misdemeanor crimes. Teenagers, as well as younger children, will experiment and rebel--sometimes in ways that conflict with the law. Their actions can have drastic consequences on not only their own lives, but their parents' and legal guardians' lives as well. At McCready Law Group, I'm committed to understanding your child's situation, determining how your child's crime may impact you, and providing you both with a strong legal defense. I will explain how your Duty to Exercise Reasonable Care can influence your outcome, as well as how the relevant California laws affect your case. I'm committed to offering experienced legal guidance and vigorous representation to all of my clients. My firm is proud to serve individuals in Long Beach, Cypress Hill, and Lakewood, California, as well as nearby communities. When a child engages in willful misconduct or intentional acts, the parent can be held to account. Vicarious liability means holding a more responsible person responsible for another's acts. Children cannot take responsibility for their own actions, so their parents must assume liability. Parents have moral and legal responsibilities towards their child. If they set a bad example to their children, they will definitely follow in their steps. In other words, they are the primary teachers and discipliners of their children. Most states have parental responsibility laws that kick in when a child is born and end when a child turns 18 years old. A few states limit liability to children above a certain age (for example, 10 or 11) or extend responsibility up to the age of 21 years old. Parents can be held responsible for the harm their minor children cause, but not in every situation. Sometimes children can be taken to court too. Simply warning a child about a possible danger is not always enough. Judges put a lot of emphasis on parents' ability to predict their child's actions. Some judges find that parents who ignore their child's bad behaviour are responsible. They think these parents should have made an extra effort to warn their children and take precautions. Criminal law, unlike civil law, is less likely to hold defendants liable for the actions of a third party, even if that third party is the defendant's child. This is because in criminal law defendants face incarceration and the associated stigma that comes with a conviction. Both Crumbley parents have pleaded not guilty to four counts each of involuntary manslaughter. If convicted on all counts, they each face a maximum prison sentence of 60 years and maximum fines of US$30,000. Unable to make the combined $1 million bond, they appeared before a judge on Dec. 3, 2021, in prison uniforms and chains. In the rare instances that parents of school shooters are prosecuted, they are normally charged with crimes such as child abuse, child neglect and failure to properly secure a firearm. The charge lodged against the Crumbleys, involuntary manslaughter, also known as gross negligent homicide, is even more uncommon. But it's not without precedent.