A client was arrested after police officers claim they saw him hit his infant daughter. He was charged with willful harm to a child, in violation of Penal Code section 273a. I obtained a disposition by which he agreed to plead guilty to one count of misdemeanor child abuse, a violation of PC 273a(b), serve five days in county jail (with credit for the three you had already served), complete 15 days of community labor, as well as the standard, 52-week parenting class and be placed on summary probation for three years. After the court imposed an overly restrictive condition of probation requiring him to stay away from his son for the term of his probation, I was able to work with the court and his DCFS case worker to arrange a modification by which he was able to return home and continue living with his family and his daughter.
