Felonies are serious crimes that usually are punishable by more than one year in prison. Nevada law organizes felonies into classes, from Class I to Class IV, but each class also has subcategories. Class I felonies are the most serious felonies in Nevada and Class IV felonies are the least serious.

• Class I felony is first degree murder in some cases.
• Class IA felonies are murder, arson, and kidnapping.
• Class IB felonies can include manslaughter, aggravated assault, burglary, and sexual assault of a child in the first degree.
• Class IC felonies are robbery, use of a deadly weapon to commit a felony, and possession of certain amounts of illegal substances.
• Class ID felonies include possession of certain illegal substances (10 - 28 grams), assault on a police officer or health care professional, and manufacture or distribution of child pornography .
• Class II felonies are robbery, human trafficking, assault in the first degree, and sexual assault in the first degree.
• Class III felonies can include forgery in the first degree, assault in the second degree, strangulation with a dangerous instrument, sexual assault in the second degree, and manufacture or distribution of certain drugs.
• Class IIIA felonies are manufacture or distribution of certain drugs and criminal enticement of a child.
• Class IV felonies include assisted suicide and forgery in the second degree.

For information about misdemeanors, see Nebraska Misdemeanor Crimes by Class and Sentences.

Possible Punishment for Felony Crimes in Nebraska

The sentences for each category of felony in Nebraska are listed below. Some felonies have specific sentencing requirements in addition to the basic sentence, and sentences can be increased for the second or subsequent offense of some crimes.

• Class I felony – death penalty
• Class IA felony – life in prison
• Class IB felony – 20 years to life in prison
• Class IC felony – 5 to 50 years in prison (5 years mandatory minimum)
• Class ID felony – 3 to 50 years in prison (3 years mandatory minimum)
• Class II felony – 1 to 50 years in prison
• Class III felony – 1 to 20 years in prison or fine up to $25,000, or both
• Class IIIA felony – up to 5 years in prison or a fine up to $10,000, or both
• Class IV felony – up to 5 years in prison or a fine up to $10,000, or both.

Criminal Statute of Limitations

Nebraska law requires that a criminal prosecution begin within a certain amount of time after a crime is committed or believed to have been committed. The criminal statute of limitations limits the length of time the state can wait before filing charges against a person. The length of time varies for different crimes and some crimes, such as murder, have no time limit. For more information on the criminal statute of limitations, see Criminal Statute of Limitations in Nebraska.

The Value of Good Representation

A felony conviction becomes part of your permanent criminal record. If you are convicted later of another felony, the court can consider your prior conviction and impose a harsher sentence in the new case. Being a convicted felon can hurt you when you are looking for a job and applying to rent a house or apartment. Convicted felons lose the right to vote, to carry firearms, and to obtain certain professional licenses.

An experienced attorney can determine whether you have any grounds for dismissal of the charges against you, explore plea options, or represent you at trial. Only someone familiar with the local criminal court system and cases like yours will know how good your chances are for a favorable outcome in court or at the negotiating table. A knowledgeable attorney will take all of this into consideration, assist you in making decisions about your case, and protect your rights.

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