Child Neglect Charges: Criminal Attorney in St. Paul, MN Needed by Man Who Left Child in Car on Hot Day

Alexander Rupp was just charged with child neglect in St. Paul, MN. Child neglect is a gross misdemeanor in Minnesota and carries up to one year in jail and or a $3,000 fine. Rupp left his 3-year-old daughter inside his car in August 2014.  The temperate on the day in question was about 74 degrees.  Mendota Heights police found the child locked inside the car. She was sweating and wiping her forehead. The officer smashed the window to the car to unlock the door. Once making contact with the child, the officer noticed that the child had warm skin.  Rupp told police that when he arrived and parked, he got into an argument with his daughter so he decided to leave her in the vehicle. He admitted that he shouldn’t have brought her and that he should have left the car running.
What is child neglect in Minnesota?

Under Minnesota statute 609.378, child neglect is defined as “a parent, legal guardian, or caretaker who willfully deprives a child of necessary food, clothing, shelter, health care, or supervision appropriate to the child’s age, when the parent, guardian, or caretaker is reasonably able to make the necessary provisions and the deprivation harms or is likely to substantially harm the child’s physical, mental, or emotional health.” Rupp will need an attorney to argue that his daughter did not suffer any physical, mental, or emotional health problems and that it was not likely to occur. Rupp will need a criminal attorney in St. Paul, MN to help him fight the charge.

Max Keller is a criminal attorney in St. Paul, MN. Because he is a criminal attorney in St. Paul, MN, he has an office conveniently located near the court. Keller Criminal Defense Attorneys offers a free consultation. If you have been charged with child neglect, child abuse, or Child Endangerment, call 952-913-1421 immediately.

Max Keller has won countless jury trial cases involving misdemeanors and felonies, sex crimes, and DWI’s. He is a member of the Minnesota Society for Criminal Justice, which only allows the top 50 criminal defense attorneys in the state as members. Max is a frequent speaker at CLE’s and is often asked for advice by other defense attorneys across Minnesota.

Years of Experience: Approx. 20 years
Minnesota Registration Status: Active
Bar & Court Admissions: State of Minnesota Minnesota State Court Minnesota Federal Court 8th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals State of Maryland

What to Do If You Have Been Charged with a Criminal Offense

Minnesota recently passed a public safety bill that brings sweeping changes to the state’s juvenile justice system. While minors sometimes run afoul of the law, the juvenile justice system seeks to account for the differences between children and adults. Therefore, while the penalties for adults convicted of crimes focus on punishment, those for juveniles are aimed at diversion and restorative practices.
If a county medical examiner’s work is called into question in one case, it can affect all those they were a part of. An independent review is underway of murder cases involving the testimony of the long-time medical examiner in Ramsey County, Minnesota. The review comes in response to a wrongful murder conviction that was recently vacated on the basis that the medical examiner gave flawed medical testimony.
You might ask how plea bargains work if you are considering settling your criminal case by skipping the trial phase. A plea bargain in Minneapolis, MN, happens when a criminal defendant agrees to plead guilty or no contest instead of having the prosecution prove his or her guilt at trial. The prosecution agrees to reduce the charges, recommend less harsh penalties, or drop the charges altogether in exchange for a guilty plea.