Is refusing to get your child from police custody considered child abandonment? I received a call at 1am from Maryland State police informing me they had my child in police custody for wrecking a government vehicle he had stolen. They wanted me to come to police headquarters to sign citations and custody forms to bring him home. I refused, feeling he(15yr old son) needed to spend a night in jail. I got up around 5am get dressed and went work. The police contacted me again around 7am requesting I come and pick up my son. I told them I would come and see them once I am off from work. The police contacted social services and turned him over in their custody. Social services(Child Protective Services) turned him over to Military Family service center, and the military family service center released him to walk home. Since he had stolen a DOD(department of Defense) vehicle, the DOD police arrested my son at home taking him into custody. Later that day around 7pm a police officer came to issue the juvenile citations to me and decided to charge me with child abandonment for refusing to come to the station and take him into my custody. His explanation was " I wasted his time because he had to keep my son all night for me. And now he(Police Officer) was going to waste my time. My question is that considered Child abandonment, and if it is, What are the fines and penalties in the state of Annapolis, MD?

Believe it or not they can charge you with abandonment because he was released and you refused to pick him up. It is up to the judge what will happen as a result of the charges.

Yes they can, you need to talk to either the juv case worker or CPS if you don't want them back and see if you can plead him guilty and get him put in detention

Although you felt it would be "best" for your 15 year old to get a taste of what jail was like - yes, they can and did charge you with abandonment. Had he been over 18 you could have left him there until he rotted and that would have been perfectly legal. A minor just can't be left hanging in the wind until the parent gets around to taking him back. Sorry.