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Felony Classes: Charges and Penalties
Felonies and Misdemeanors In all states, crimes are classified as either misdemeanors (less serious crimes) or felonies (more serious crimes). Felonies and misdemeanors differ in significant ways:
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Class A and Level One Felonies
Felonies classified as “Class A” or “Level One” are the most serious crimes, short of death penalty crimes. They incur long prison sentences and hefty fines.
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Class B and Level Two Felonies
All states and the federal criminal code distinguish between felony crimes (serious offenses) and misdemeanors (less serious). Some states use a classification system to further rank felonies (from severe to less so).
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Class C and Level Three Felonies
The criminal codes of every state and the federal criminal code separate felony crimes (serious offenses) from misdemeanors (less serious). Some states use a classification system to organize felonies from those that are the most serious to those that are less so.
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Class D and Level Four Felonies
What is a Class D Felony? All states and the federal criminal code separate crimes into felonies (serious offenses) and misdemeanors (less serious).
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The states and the federal government classify crimes as misdemeanors or felonies, which are more serious than misdemeanors. Many states further classify felonies into classes or levels, with class A/level one being the most serious. States that follow the felony classification system allocate a sentence, or a sentence range, to each class or level.
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Misdemeanor Crimes: Classes and Penalties
Most states and the federal criminal code have classified their misdemeanors into classes or levels.
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Class A and Level One Misdemeanors
Among misdemeanors, Class A or Level One crimes are the most serious, incurring fines and jail time of up to one year in most states.
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Class B and Level Two Misdemeanors
Mid-level misdemeanors are often classified as Class B or Level Two. They may result in fines and jail time of up to a year in most states.
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Class C Misdemeanors and Level Three Misdemeanors
The federal criminal code and the criminal laws of every state divide crimes into two levels, felonies and misdemeanors. Misdemeanors are less serious; typically, they result in a sentence of one year or less, and sentences are served in a jail, not a state prison. Felonies result in state prison time, unless the court has the option to impose probation.
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Speak to a Criminal Defense Lawyer
If you've been charged with a crime, you'll probably want to speak to a lawyer.
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Know Your Rights, Survive the System. Learn how the criminal justice system works.
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Aggravated Battery Laws and Penalties
The crime of battery is the intentional touching of another in an angry manner or the intentional use of force or violence against another. Grabbing someone’s arm, pushing or punching a person or striking a victim with an object are all crimes of battery.
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Assault with a deadly weapon is a felony offense regardless of the actual injuries caused to the victim.
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Simple and Aggravated Assault Laws and Penalties
Assault is a crime of violence, which is defined differently from one state to another. Learn more about how assault is defined in general, and about the assault laws in your state.
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Drunk driving is often referred to as driving under the influence of alcohol, or DUI, but can also be known as as driving while intoxicated, or DWI, or by similar terms.
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Theft and thievery have been around for as long as mankind has believed in the idea of individual property and property rights. Today, states differentiate the various kinds of theft into different categories.
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Sexual Battery: Laws and Penalties
Sexual battery or criminal sexual contact is sexual conduct that does not involve penetration or sodomy, but does involve physical contact of a sexual nature without the other person’s consent.
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Terrorist Threat Laws and Penalties
Lawmakers and courts have long recognized that some damaging or dangerous forms of speech should be prohibited. Making a terrorist threat is one such form of speech that is prohibited.
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Violation Of A Restraining Order
There are several kinds of restraining orders. Violating some will lead to civil liability, while violating others can result in criminal conviction.
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Vehicular Manslaughter: Sentencing, Laws and Penalties
Drivers who unintentionally cause accidents that result in the deaths of passengers, occupants of other cars, or pedestrians may find themselves charged with the crime of vehicular manslaughter.
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When most people think about crime, it's violent crimes that quickly come to mind. You don't have to know a lot about the law to know that violent crimes are the most serious criminal offenses possible.
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Weapons have allowed mankind to overcome the natural world, provide for self-defense, and wage war against enemies. They have also resulted in innumerable crimes, injuries, and deaths. And weapons that are concealed, as opposed to those that are in plain sight, often result in injuries and fatalities that would not have happened had the gun been obvious.
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Criminal mischief has likely been around for as long as people have owned personal property. Any time a person damages someone else's property without the owner's permission, that's criminal mischief.
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Disorderly Conduct Laws and Penalties
Whenever people engage in conduct that is likely to cause a disturbance or lead to some sort of non-peaceful event, this behavior is often prosecuted as disorderly conduct, sometimes referred to as “breach of the peace.”
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Domestic Violence Laws and Penalties
Domestic violence is a violent act committed against a person in a domestic relationship whom the law protects from assault, such as a spouse, a relative, or a dating or sexual partner. Some states also classify threats to commit violent acts against protected persons as domestic violence.
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Driving Without a License: Presenting Proof of a Valid License
A suspended license is one that has been taken away temporarily. In some situations, the suspension period automatically expires and the license becomes valid again; in other situations, drivers must apply to the issuing agency to reinstate their licenses.
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An overview of DUI (driving under the influence) offense classifications and possible consequences.
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Failure to Stop and Give Information, or Hit and Run
“Hit-and-run” laws, also known as “stop-and-give-aid” laws, require drivers who are involved in collisions to: stop, provide identification, and give any needed assistance.
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Harassment and Cyberbullying as Crimes
Harassment crimes include stalking, bullying, hate crimes and more. The penalties for a conviction can be severe.
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Minor in Possession of Alcohol
Minor in possession laws (sometimes called underage drinking laws) target sales of alcohol to minors and public possession of alcohol by minors.
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Petty Theft & Other Theft Laws
Classified as a misdemeanor, petty theft involves the theft of items under a value of five hundred dollars.