Misdemeanor
Misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors are regarded as minor criminal offenses, punishable by 90 days in jail and a $1000 fine, or 364 days in jail and a $5000 fine.
Examples of this could be:
- Assault 4th Degree.
- Driving While License Suspended.
- Theft 3rd Degree.
- Reckless Driving.
- Other offenses that are under the jurisdiction of the District Court.
Potential outcomes may include:
Reduction of the charge to a civil infraction, diversions, or stipulated orders of continuance that result in a dismissal after a period of time and fulfillment of certain conditions.
Felony
A felony is a more serious criminal offense, punishable by at least a year and a day in state prison, up to life in prison without parole.
Examples of this could be:
- Assault 2nd Degree.
- Vehicular Assault.
- Sex crimes.
- Drug crimes (Violations of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act).
- Other offenses under the jurisdiction of the Superior Court.
Potential outcomes may include:
Reduction of the charge to greatly reduce the amount of prison time to be served, or reduction to a misdemeanor offense.
Federal Charges
Federal misdemeanors are punishable by up to one year of imprisonment. Federal felonies are punishable by up to 25 years or more in prison. Some federal felony offenses are punishable by life imprisonment, or even the death penalty.
Examples of this could be:
- Sex crimes.
- Crimes involving the importation of illegal narcotics to the United States.
- Crimes involving firearms.
Potential outcomes may include:
Reduction of the charge to greatly reduce the amount of prison time to be served, or reduction to a federal misdemeanor offense.
