Law Commons^™

Where Are The Parents? Parental Criminal Responsibility For The Acts Of Children, Lisa Lockwood

Golden Gate University Law Review

This Comment will examine the legal possibility of imposing parental criminal liability for the crimes committed by the direct acts of their children. Part II of this article will describe the elements required to impose criminal liability, specifically for the convictions of involuntary manslaughter and murder by depraved indifference. These elements are then juxtaposed against those required in civil tort law, which are substantially similar and therefore must apply to hold parents responsible for the deaths of third parties. Next, because parental criminal liability cases have not yet occurred, Part III will investigate cases in which the elements required for …