{"data":{"id":"us-hi/haw.-rev.-stat.-709-902","jurisdiction":"us-hi","citation":"Haw. Rev. Stat. § 709-902","heading":"Abandonment of a child.","body":"(1) A person commits the offense of abandonment of a child if, being a parent, guardian, or other person legally charged with the care or custody of a child less than fourteen years old, the person deserts the child in any place with intent to abandon it.\n\n(2) Leaving a newborn child at a hospital, fire station, or police station or with emergency services personnel pursuant to section 587D‑2 shall not constitute a violation of this section.\n\n(3) Abandonment of a child is a misdemeanor. [L 1972, c 9, pt of §1; gen ch 1993; am L Sp 2007, c 7, §3]\n\nCOMMENTARY ON §709-902\n\nAbandonment of a child is essentially a residual offense hence the relatively low grade of its penalty. If an abandoned child dies, suffers bodily injury, or is exposed to a substantial risk of bodily injury, the parent, guardian, or person charged with care or custody of the child would, depending on the culpability of the actor and circumstances of the case, be subject to a charge of murder, manslaughter, negligent homicide, assault in some degree, or reckless endangering in the second degree. Section 709-902 should be invoked primarily in those cases of abandonment where the abandoned child is discovered and taken into protective custody before the child suffers bodily injury.","path":["HI Code","Division 5","Title 37","Chapter 709"],"source_url":"http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/hrscurrent/Vol14_Ch0701-0853/HRS0709/HRS_0709-0902.htm","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:11Z","sha256":"9ab52c41732d9c7e60357ef93a11ce9d40079aa082c8929b0af4e67904432428","source_id":"us-hi","stale":false,"prev":"us-hi/haw.-rev.-stat.-709-901","next":"us-hi/haw.-rev.-stat.-709-903"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}