Contributing to the Delinquency of a Minor in Tennessee
Contributing to the delinquency of a person under the age of 18 is a crime in Tennessee and is punishable by up to a year in jail and/or a $2,500 fine. Additionally, if vandalism is involved, the defendant may be responsible for the costs of repair and restoration.
To be found guilty of the crime, the state must prove that the defendant contributed to or encouraged delinquency, a delinquent act, or unruly behavior of a child. A delinquent act is conduct that amounts to a crime under state law, federal law, or local ordinance. On the other hand, unruly behavior consists of habitual truancy, disobedience to parents, commission of crimes only applicable to children (such as underage drinking), and running away from home.
Examples of contributing to the delinquency of a minor include encouraging or enabling a child to:
- Watch sexually explicit materials (pornography);
- Smoke cigarettes or otherwise use tobacco products;
- Drink alcohol;
- Sell or use controlled substances like marijuana, ecstasy, LSD, and prescription drugs;
- Skip school; and
- Theft.
Moreover, parents can be found guilty of contributing to the delinquency of a minor if their child has committed two or more acts of vandalism on public property. If found guilty, the parents are responsible for paying the costs of repairing or restoring the property. However, parents can defend on the basis that they did all that was reasonably possible to prevent the child from engaging in the prohibited conduct.
If you are facing criminal charges for contributing to the delinquency of a minor, do not try and represent yourself. The stakes are too high not to hire an experienced criminal defense attorney. At Baker Associates, we work hard to ensure that our clients avoid conviction. If accused of a crime against a minor, contact a Pigeon Forge juvenile crime defense attorney today at 866-853-2888 to schedule a free, no-strings case evaluation.
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