What is a Felony? A felony is a crime for which the punishment is usually in excess of one year in prison or on probation and a fine of more than $1000.00. A person may also lose some or all of their civil liberties, such as the right to vote or own a handgun, if they are convicted of this type of crime.
What is a Misdemeanor? A misdemeanor is a crime for which the punishment is usually one year or less in the local jail or on probation and a fine of less than $1000.00. Punishment may also include a variety of other hardships such as community service at a recycling plant or picking up trash along the highway with the jail patrol; mandatory drug and alcohol counseling; waiver of your right to travel or your fourth amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizure; and other types of punishments.
Criminal conduct usually falls under one of seven (7) categories. Within each category there exists both misdemeanor and felony offenses. The less serious crimes are usually treated as misdemeanors the more serious crimes are treated as felonies. Remember, whether a type of crime is a misdemeanor or felony depends upon the level of punishment attached to the offense. See below for a description of the seven (7) general categories of crimes.
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