Allegations of Child Abuse or Neglect in Lincoln RI
Criminal Charges:
Investigatory representation for allegations of child abuse or neglect.
City, State, County and Court:
Lincoln, Rhode Island, Providence County
Lincoln Police
Case Overview:
A young mother worked as a full-time babysitter or caretaker for a young couple who recently had their first child. The mother also had young children of her own. She performed her babysitting duties at the couple’s home while simultaneously caring for her own children. One particular day, after the woman completed her duties and left the couple’s home, the parents noticed their newborn child was in distress. After some days of being unable to get the child settled, the couple brought the newborn to a pediatrician. The doctor ultimately diagnosed the child with a bone fracture. The couple denied any knowledge or responsibility for the child’s injury and implicated their babysitter as a probable suspect. They also terminated her employment. Armed with this information, Lincoln Police opened a criminal investigation against the woman for suspected child abuse or neglect, stemming from the newborn’s injury, which police suspected may have occurred while the child was under the woman’s care. The woman immediately retained Rhode Island Criminal Defense Lawyer, John L. Calcagni III, to defend her during this investigation.
Case Result: No Charges Filed.
Attorney Calcagni and his client elected for a strategy that called for the woman’s cooperation with authorities. They voluntarily participated in a recorded police interview and also turned over numerous text messages and call history regarding the woman’s communications with the child’s parents, whereby she self-reported to them their child’s apparent distress. The woman also voluntarily turned over her cellphone, and consented to a search of its contents, at the request of police. After several months of follow-up discussions and responding to further police inquiries, Attorney Calcagni finally persuaded detectives to close out their investigation with no criminal charges being filed against his client.