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WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A MISDEMEANOR AND A FELONY

Admin • February 23, 2017
Man With Handcuff — Eau Claire, WI — Cohen Law Offices
Cohen Law Offices, LLC can help you identify if your sentence was due to a misdemeanor or a felony.

Most people would agree that not all crimes should be judged the same; for example, driving on a suspended license is not as serious as assaulting someone. To account for varying degrees of severity, crimes are classified as either misdemeanors, for less significant misconducts, or felonies, for more severe crimes. The seriousness of the offense isn’t the only difference between these categories. If you’ve been charged with a crime it is important to know the consequences associated with that offence.

DIFFERENCES IN SENTENCING

For both misdemeanor and felony offenses you’ll have a trial; in misdemeanor cases you may have an abbreviated trial without a jury, unlike felony cases. If you are convicted of the charges against you, the punishment differs as well. Misdemeanor offenses are punishable by fines and up to one year in a local or county jail. On the other hand, felonies carry longer sentences which are served in state or federal penitentiaries along with more substantial fines. 

SECONDARY CONSEQUENCES 

Depending on the nature of the crimes, there may be other impacts. For example, committing certain offenses may preclude you from employment in some fields. Many positions require passing a background check, especially if they involve working with vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly or people with disabilities. In addition, if you’ve been convicted of a sexual offense you may be registered in a database. 

If you’ve been charged with a crime, or just want to understand what the differences are between a misdemeanor and a felony, contact Cohen Law Offices, LLC at 715-514-5051.
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