If you or a family member has been charged with a felony, contact a criminal lawyer to make sure your rights are protected.
Understanding felonies as opposed to being charged with other offenses.
What are the three major types of crimes?
Felonies, Misdemeanors and Petty Offenses. Find information on felony charges below…
Felony crimes are the most serious.
There are six classes of felony crimes (in New York State), with class A being the most serious.
Felony Classes include the following:
- Spousal Abuse or Domestic Violence
- Drug Dealing or Felony Possession
- Burglary Felony
- Grand Theft
- Kidnapping
- Arson
- Murder and Homicide
- Manslaughter (non-negligent and negligent manslaughter)
- Sex Offenses such as forcible and non-forcible rape
New York Felony classes are listed below. If a person is convicted of a felony, the court could sentence the offender to a year or more in jail or prison, depending on mitigating (severity of the offense, was someone harmed, was this a first offense, etc…). Here find New York Felony classification:
- A1 Felonies
- A2 Felonies
- B violent felonies
- B non-violent felonies
- C violent felonies
- C non-violent felonies
- D violent felonies
- D non-violent felonies
- E felonies
Felony Classification and Felony Classes
Class A felonies are divided into two sub-categories: A-I and A-II felonies. Class A felonies carry the longest jail sentences and class E felonies carry the shortest jail sentences for felony cases. Jail sentences for misdemeanor and violations or infractions are even shorter.
In some cases, the Judges and prosecutors are authorized by criminal statutes to classify the offense as a felony or misdemeanor. These cases are called “wobblers” because they are decided based on:
- Injury to Victim
- Intent
- Past Criminal Record
Additional penalties for felonies can be imposed due to special circumstances or high-risk crimes, often called “extraordinary risk.” This term implies the likelihood that the convicted felon is likely to be a repeat offender. Felony crimes of this type include any crime of violence, such as rape or sexual assault, aggravated crimes, and illegal manufacturing, sale or distribution of a controlled substance.
In addition to the possibility of being sentenced to jail time, people convicted of felony crimes lose many of their civil rights, such as:
- The right to vote
- The right to run for office
- The right to serve in the military
- Drivers license may be revoked or suspended
