If you are charged with a crime, you need to understand the different levels of offense that you can be charged with. This will help you determine what you should plea when you appear in court, and what the consequences will be of pleading guilty or accepting a plea deal.
The Worst Kind: Felonies
The most serious type of crime that you can be charged with is a felony. If you are charged and convicted of a felony, you should expect to spend some time in a state or federal prison depending on which level of government brought the charges against you.
When you fill out any job or housing applications in the future, you will most likely be asked if you have any felony convictions. You will have a much tougher time finding housing and a job when you have a felony conviction on your record. …show more content…
That way, they can fight to get the charges reduced. You should try to avoid getting a felony conviction as it will most likely result in prison time and will impact your life long after you leave prison.
Still Serious But Not As Bad: Misdemeanors
A misdemeanor is not as bad as a felony, but it is still pretty serious. If you are convicted of a misdemeanor, there is a high probability that you will spend time in the county jail for the crime that you committed. Most county jai stints are not that long; however, you would still lose your freedoms for a time beings.
Once again, you may have some difficulties find housing and a job when you have a misdemeanor on your record. Due to the county jail sentence associated with misdemeanors, employers and rental agencies look down on individuals who have misdemeanors. However, having a felony pleaded down to a misdemeanor instead is a good thing.
If you have only been charged with a misdemeanor though, you should fight to see if it can be dropped down to a lesser charge and talk to your attorney to see if that can happen.
The Worst Kind: Felonies
The most serious type of crime that you can be charged with is a felony. If you are charged and convicted of a felony, you should expect to spend some time in a state or federal prison depending on which level of government brought the charges against you.
When you fill out any job or housing applications in the future, you will most likely be asked if you have any felony convictions. You will have a much tougher time finding housing and a job when you have a felony conviction on your record. …show more content…
That way, they can fight to get the charges reduced. You should try to avoid getting a felony conviction as it will most likely result in prison time and will impact your life long after you leave prison.
Still Serious But Not As Bad: Misdemeanors
A misdemeanor is not as bad as a felony, but it is still pretty serious. If you are convicted of a misdemeanor, there is a high probability that you will spend time in the county jail for the crime that you committed. Most county jai stints are not that long; however, you would still lose your freedoms for a time beings.
Once again, you may have some difficulties find housing and a job when you have a misdemeanor on your record. Due to the county jail sentence associated with misdemeanors, employers and rental agencies look down on individuals who have misdemeanors. However, having a felony pleaded down to a misdemeanor instead is a good thing.
If you have only been charged with a misdemeanor though, you should fight to see if it can be dropped down to a lesser charge and talk to your attorney to see if that can happen.