What is the difference between felony and misdemeanor in California?
What is the difference between felony and misdemeanor in California?
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What is the difference between felony and misdemeanor in California?
Felonies and misdemeanors have many differences, but they have one thing in common and that is the potential to result in the imposition of serious penalties.
Under California law, a felony is a more serious crime than a misdemeanor. Someone convicted of a felony can face imprisonment in jail for more than one year or even for the rest of his/her life. Also, they may be fined up to $10,000 for the crime.
However, anyone who is facing a felony or misdemeanor charge needs to consult with a criminal defense attorney in California to discuss his/her rights.
Examples of felonies in California
Felony crimes require the knowledge and expertise of a defense lawyer. A criminal conviction on a California felony charge can have long-term consequences, such as jail time, probation, fines, post-conviction restrictions and others.
Having this on your record can keep you from finding a job, obtaining loans or even renting an apartment, which can seriously damage your reputation and that of your family and friends.
So, what is considered a felony in the state of California? Some of the crimes considered felonies are murder, rape, selling controlled substances, lewd acts with a child and vehicular manslaughter with gross negligence.
Felonies in California are crimes punishable by more than one year in jail or prison and/or a fine of $10,000 or more. Also, depending on the crime, felonies can result in life in prison or the death penalty.
Examples of misdemeanors in California
Misdemeanors under California law are less severe crimes than felonies and they are divided into two types: standards and gross or aggravated misdemeanors.
A standard misdemeanor is punishable by up to six months in county jail and/ or a fine of $1,000. As for a gross or aggravated misdemeanor, it can be punishable by up to 364 days in county jail and/or a fine of $1,000 or more.
Crimes considered misdemeanors in California can be petty theft, being drunk in public, prostitution, DUI without injury, and violating a restraining order.
There are also other offenses, known as a wobbler offense that can be charged as either a felony or misdemeanor by the prosecutor. How he or she decides to charge it depends on the facts surrounding the case and the defendant’s criminal history.
Some examples of a wobbler offense are elder abuse, brandishing a weapon and assault with a deadly weapon.
Whether you are facing felony or misdemeanor charges, we advise you to seek a criminal defense lawyer in California as soon as possible. Our team at Kannan Law will aggressively fight for your case. So, don’t hesitate and call us now for an appointment. We provide personalized service to ordinary people caught under extraordinary pressure.