Chico Child Molestation Lawyers
Trusted Plaintiffs’ Firm
Being the parent of a child who has been molestation is heartbreaking. Your family must heal and receive the medical and mental health help to do so. Your family also must find an attorney to represent them against the responsible party. Money will never compensate your child for what he or she has endured, but your child may be entitled to thousands of dollars in damages if a civil claim is filed or through criminal restitution. If you or someone you love has been the victim of molestation at a school, private home, or daycare, it’s crucial that you begin retain counsel as soon as possible. hat you retain counsel as soon as possible. hat you retain counsel as soon as possible. You must entrust your case to a law firm that has demonstrated experience representing molestation victim clients and who have a thorough knowledge of the laws and insurance companies to best represent your child at this unimaginable time. At Peters, Habib, McKenna, Juhl-Rhodes & Cardoza, LLP, our Chico child molestation attorneys are well known among our peers and throughout California for our work. We’re not afraid to go to trial in order to get you the results you need.
Contact our team online or by phone at (530) 342-3593 to schedule your consultation in English or Spanish today. We can help you regain control of your life.
What is Child Molestation?
Under California law, child molestation refers to crimes committed when a person engages in or attempts to engage in sexual acts with a minor under 18 years of age. Depending on the nature of the act or acts, those who are accused can face tens of thousands of dollars in damages in a civil claim. They may also face misdemeanor or felony charges in a criminal case.
Child molestation crimes can include:
- Touching a child for sexual purposes or causing a child to touch themselves or someone else for a sexual purpose
- Performing oral copulation on a minor
- Sending explicit content to a minor
- Contacting a minor with the intent to commit a sexual crime
- Arranging a meeting with a minor to engage in sexual conduct
Who Can Sue?
In a civil lawsuit, both the child and the child’s legal caregiver, including parents or other guardians, can sue for child molestation. Damages that can be recovered in a claim include physical, emotional, and other harm caused by the abuse. Additionally, the parents or caregivers who file the claim can sue for their own emotional distress and related harm as a result of the abuse.
All states have their own deadlines for victims to file lawsuits, also known as a statute of limitations. In 2019, Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law that would give victims of childhood sexual abuse until the age of 40, or five years from the discovery of the abuse, to file civil lawsuits in California. The previous limit had been 26, or three years from the discovery of the abuse.
Other important steps you need to take in order to assist in obtaining recovery include:
- Gathering physical evidence that may relate to the person who is accused of molesting your child, including any information regarding any association with the accused person, any clothing, videos, recordings, and objects
- Gathering documents or records that could relate to the molestation like emails and letters, as well as information that can show where the incident took place
- Making a list of witnesses who have information about the accusations, your child, or the accused’s relationship with them
How We Can Help
Being the victim or parent of a child who has been molested can put you and your family in a dark and isolating place. Our attorneys are here to help guide you through the civil legal process during this time. When you call us, you can trust us to treat you with the empathy you need and to keep our communication and your information confidential.
The sooner you call us, the sooner we can put our experience and legal knowledge to work for you. Call our Chico child molestation lawyers to learn more about how we can serve you during a dark time at (530) 342-3593.
Our Rave Reviews
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Firm Victories
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$3,000,000 Construction Injury
Settlement on catastrophic construction site injury case for the policy limits of 3 million dollars. This hard-fought case was led by partners James McKenna and Lia Juhl-Rhodes.
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$1,500,000 Mobilehome Park Case
Settlement for 19-unit mobile-home park for 1.5 million based upon violations of leases, mobilehome residency law, construction defect, and breach of habitability.
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Big Victory for Local Governments Municipal Cases
City of Oroville vs Superior Court of Butte County, on August 15, 2019, lead attorneys for the City of Oroville, Mark A. Habib and Lia M. Juhl-Rhodes, from the law firm of Peters, Habib, McKenna, Juhl-Rhodes & Cardoza, LLP won a landmark inverse condemnation case in the California Supreme Court.
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Acquittal of Misdemeanor Criminal Defense
Partner Anthony Cardoza represented a client who faced the charge of a misdemeanor count of spousal battery under Penal Code section 243(e)(1).
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Clearance of Felony Criminal Defense
Partner Anthony Cardoza led a two-day jury trial representing a defendant who faced a felony count of assault with a deadly weapon, namely a vehicle.
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Gun Rights Protected Criminal Defense
Partner Anthony Cardoza won a court trial in which the Government was attempting through a civil restraining order process to take a citizen’s gun rights away.
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Clearance of Felony Criminal Defense
Partner Anthony Cardoza represented a client in Butte County charged with Felony Driving Under the Influence causing injury.
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Not Guilty Criminal Defense
Partner Anthony Cardoza represented a client who faced felony charges of Domestic Violence and False Imprisonment.
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Millions For Mobilehome Clients Mobilehome
Our firm has obtained millions of dollars for Mobilehome Park residents, representing hundreds of clients/residents to obtain money damages on their behalf. (This statement does not constitute a guarantee or prediction of results in any case)