A felony in the State of Tennessee is a criminal offense for which a
penalty of a year or more imprisonment can be imposed. The State has six different classes of felony
offenses.
Felony Offense Sentencing and
Convictions in Tennessee
The State of Tennessee
classifies its felonies according to classifications, with the exception of
capital crimes, which are included in their own classification. The following
provides an overview of the classification of felonious offenses, examples of
felony crimes for each class and the sentence for each one.
| Felony Classification |
Criminal Charge |
Sentencing: Jail Time and Fines |
|
Capital Crime
|
-
murder
-
arson
-
rape
-
kidnapping
|
Death; life imprisonment
|
|
Class A felony
|
-
manslaughter
-
sexual crimes
-
burglary
-
drug crimes
|
Not less than fifteen (15) nor
more than sixty (60) years in prison. In addition, the jury may assess a fine
not to exceed fifty thousand dollars ($50,000), unless otherwise provided by
statute
|
|
Class B Felony
|
-
theft of
$60,000.00 or more
-
possession of
cocaine (.5 gms or more)
-
robbery
-
burglary
|
Not less than eight (8) nor
more than thirty (30) years in prison. In addition, the jury may assess a
fine not to exceed twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000), unless otherwise
provided by statute
|
|
Class C Felony
|
-
Tennessee Marijuana Felony (possession of 20-99 plants)
-
drug crimes
-
fraud
-
white collar
crime
|
Not less than three (3) years
nor more than fifteen (15) years in prison. In addition, the jury may assess
a fine not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000), unless otherwise
provided by statute
|
|
Class D Felony
|
-
computer
tamperings
-
failure to pay
child support
-
aggravated
assault
-
DUI: Tennessee Felony DUI
|
Not less than two (2) years
nor more than twelve (12) years in prison. In addition, the jury may assess a
fine not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000), unless otherwise provided
by statute
|
|
Class E Felony
|
-
computer fraud
-
aggravated
gambling promotion
|
Not less than one (1) year nor
more than six (6) years in prison. In addition, the jury may assess a fine
not to exceed three thousand dollars ($3,000), unless otherwise provided by
statute
|
Tennessee Felony Records and Expungement
The State of Tennessee
allows for an Expungement of felony records.
However, according to Tennessee Code of Criminal Procedure Section
40-32-101, this only applies to the following: “records
of a person who has been charged with a misdemeanor or a felony, and which
charge has been dismissed, or a no true bill returned by a grand jury, or a
verdict of not guilty returned by a jury.”
Tennessee Statute of Limitations
In the State of Tennessee,
a prosecution for a felony must be commenced with in a specific period of
time. The State requires the following
time period to be adhered to: fifteen years for a Class A felony; eight years
for a Class B felony; four years for a Class C or Class D felony; and two years
for a Class E felony. There may be an
extension for sexual offenses committed against minors. View all Criminal Statutes for Tennessee
Help from a Lawyer in
Tennessee
A criminal felony is a serious legal matter; therefore, if
one is charged with a felony crime in the State of Tennessee, one should retain the services of
an experienced criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. An experienced criminal law attorney can not
only assist one in preserving one’s legal rights, but also an attorney can help
navigate one through the process.
