Facing Felony Charges? You Have The Right to An Attorney

Facing Felony Charges? You Have The Right To An Attorney

Christopher Tobias Lewis ESQ

If you’re accused of a felony, you may be facing jail time. You need an attorney by your side who will fight to get you a favorable outcome. Having the right attorney can change the course of your entire case.

What are Felony Charges?

Felony is a broad term that can be used to refer to a number of different crimes. It typically refers to criminal activity, punishable by more than one year in the prison system. If charged with a felony, you may be facing years in jail time and thousands of dollars in fines if convicted. Persons charged with felonies face more severe penalties than those faced with misdemeanor charges. Felonies are crimes against people or property.

Some examples of the felony crimes against People are:

• Assault (including aggravated assault)
• Battery (including aggravated battery, battery on a police officer and felony battery)
• Child Abuse
• Drug Possession
• Felony DUI
• Domestic Violence
• Homicide or Murder
• Kidnapping
• Resisting Arrest (with violence)
• Sex Crimes (including rape, sexual battery, lewd acts and molestation)

 Some examples of the felony crimes against Property are:

• Burglary
• Grand theft
• Robbery
• Forgery
• Securities fraud
• Embezzlement

What are Felony Classifications?

Felonies and misdemeanors are classified based on their severity. The severity is ranked by the states using either an alphabetical system (A, B, C) or a numerical system (1, 2, 3).

Example of Felony Classifications:

1st Degree: This category includes the most serious crimes, such as murder, armed robbery and rape. The punishment is extremely severe, often involving more than ten years in prison and/or fines of $100,000 or more.

2nd Degree: The severity of these crimes are less than Class 1/Class A felonies. They include offenses like involuntary manslaughter and assault. The punishment involves a prison sentence of up to ten years and/or fines of $20,000 or more.

3rd Degree: These are the least in severity and include crimes like criminal trespass, or internet stalking. The penalties include prison sentences varying from two to five years and/or fines of $10,000 or more.

What are the Differences Between Misdemeanor and Felony Charges?

Misdemeanor and felony charges are quite different. The differences include the extent of punishment, constitutional rights and legal procedures.

Constitutional Rights: A felony conviction can impact a person's constitutional rights, like voting and gun ownership. A convicted felon’s right to hold a public office can also be taken away.

Legal Procedures: Legal procedures of Felony charges are more complicated due to their serious consequences. Arrests for felony charges are often immediate as compared to misdemeanors. Also, federal felony charges require grand jury indictments, whereas misdemeanors do not.

Punishment: The severity of Felony penalties are more than those for misdemeanors. Felonies can result in jail sentences of over a year, up to life, and fines up to $100,000. Misdemeanors lead to less than a year in prison, if any, and fines up to $1,000.

Can a Felony Charge be Reduced to a Misdemeanor?

Felony convictions have severe punishments and penalties. Therefore, reducing a felony to a misdemeanor can lead to a better outcome for your case. The process and methods for achieving this vary depending on the complexity of the case and laws. 

Get the Representation You Need

Navigating the criminal justice system on your own is risky and stressful. If you do not have a lawyer, the state usually provides a public defender to cover your case. While many public defenders do an okay job, they are often swamped by their caseloads and cannot give your case the attention it needs. An experienced criminal defense attorney will work closely with you to ensure that a complete investigation is made of your case, so that no evidence or possible defenses are missed. At The Lewis Law Group, P.A., we will exhaust all legal challenges to your charges and lobby for you in all ways possible. Our attorneys are experienced in felony defense, criminal fraud, and other criminal law cases. Your initial case evaluation is free. Contact our office now to schedule a case evaluation.