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Classification Of Crimes Felonies

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Under the United States legal system, a felony is a categorization of crime. Very serious crimes are considered felonies. A crime classified as a misdemeanor is much less serious than a felony. In 2004 there were a combined total of approximately 1,145,000 adults convicted of felonies by state and federal courts. Seventy percent of those convicted of a felony were sent to jail or prison for a period of time, and 28% served no time but were placed on probation.

There are a number of crimes that are classified as felonies. Rape, murder, kidnapping, battery, aggravated assault, treason, robbery, grand theft, fraud, burglary, racketeering, espionage, and several others are felonies.

Depending on the crime, a felony can result in mandatory community service, imprisonment, fines, probation, or even the death sentence. Someone who has been convicted of numerous felony charges will face more severe punishment than a first-time felony offender. Felony crimes vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

There are several other less serious consequences which may result from a felony conviction. Convicted felons may not be able to receive particular licenses in their state or other states, and they also lose their right to vote in some states. Convicted felons are often prohibited from purchasing firearms and other related items. They can be categorized as non-violent or violent, with the non-violent felonies involving crimes relating to white-collar, drug, or property offenses. Some of the most common felonies in the United States are drug offenses, arson, forgery, fraud, and property offenses.

Both the state and federal court systems may handle felony crime cases, depending on the crime as well as its location. Generally, when a crime that is classified as a felony is committed against the United States government or occurs in more than one state, the person will be tried on the federal level. Some other special circumstances can determine this as well. Felony cases can be tried on the state level for various reasons.

There are only a few felonies punishable by death. Some of these include espionage, treason, and murder. There are many homicide related crimes and a few non-homicide crimes that are punishable by the death penalty on the federal level. Some states have banned the death penalty. Some of the more serious felony charges can result in life imprisonment as well.

People with felonies for the most part cannot join the United States Army, though if the felony was committed when the person was a juvenile they do have a chance of getting into the military. It also doesn't matter if the case has been sealed or expunged, because the military requires such records to be revealed, and if it is not revealed then that is a felony in itself. Though the Civil Rights Act of 1964 entitles all people to be treated equally when it comes to employment, the military does not apply to that because it works as a specialized society that is considered separate from the civilian society. Rape, assault, drug-related, larceny, and murder felonies all can keep one out of the Army. Other felonies, such as multiple DWI/DUIs, have the ability to be waived, but it differs from case to case.

There are some situations in which a crime can be either considered a felony or misdemeanor depending on very specific criteria. For example, drug possession, distributing, or manufacturing will be classified as either a misdemeanor or a felony depending on quantities of drugs involved and other criteria. The classification of weapons possession charges may depend on where the crime took place. For example, a person who illegally possesses a weapon in a federal building will be classified differently than a regular weapons possessions charge.

Some states have chosen to further classify felonies into other subdivisions. Also, some states allow convicted felons to have their criminal records cleared, while many others do not.