Utah Criminal Defense Attorney
Were You Charged With Kidnapping in Utah?
From time to time, notorious kidnapping crimes make the headlines and reinforce the popular notion of kidnapping as a dramatic act involving strangers and complicating factors such as ransom or accompanying violent crimes such as sexual assault.
In practical terms, however, a great many instances of kidnapping involve separated parents in dispute over child custody and visitation. One parent who is not supposed to have custody at a certain time often takes a child out of the area or refuses to return the child to the parent who is scheduled to have possession at the time.
A parent accused of kidnapping may believe the child custody violation is in the child's best interests, but violating a court custody order takes the incident out of the realm of a domestic dispute and it becomes a criminal matter.
Your legal situation is serious if you have been charged with kidnapping your own child. Consult with a criminal defense attorney at your earliest opportunity to increase the likelihood of a favorable outcome. Contact the law offices of Greg Smith and Associates, Criminal Law Attorneys, to schedule a consultation.
Other circumstances that often lead to criminal charges of kidnapping or similar criminal charges include the following:
- A woman unable to have her own child kidnaps a baby from a hospital
- A husband or wife seeking more time together in hopes of reconciling a troubled relationship blocks the other one from leaving a car or forces her or him to go or stay somewhere against his or her will
- In a domestic violence context, one partner blocks another from leaving the home during an argument
- A restraining order violation escalates into an incident where one person keeps the other in captivity, even for a few hours, resulting in charges of unlawful imprisonment
We are here to offer those who need our advocacy the benefit of our experience, understanding and service. We regularly advise other attorneys and share our insights with the public. Our opinions have been aired on Good Morning America and publicized in national newspapers such as USA Today.
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Contact us night or day, any day of the week. Our lawyers are ready to talk to you about the steps we will take to defend you in the face of kidnapping charges in Utah.
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