What are the three major types of crimes?

Felonies, Misdemeanors and Petty Offenses. Find information on all three types of offenses below…

The class of a crime is important to consider since the governing substantive law and procedural law are different between the classes. Petty offenses are provided the least amount of protections while felonies have numerous protections built into their treatment by the court system. The punishment for a petty offense is much smaller than the punishment for a felony – which can result in loss of life (death penalty) or liberty (jail).

Felony Offenses – A felony crime can result in the imposition of the greatest punishment for violation of law, such as a jail sentence greater than one year and fines exceeding $1,000.

Misdemeanors Offenses – Violation of a misdemeanor law can result in imposition of punishment greater than that of a petty offense but not as severe as that of a felony (examples might be a heavier fine, or short jail sentence).

Petty Offenses – A petty offense is a sub-group of misdemeanor. Petty offenses typically may be tried before a magistrate in a summary proceeding as the matter typically is handled all on the date of the first appearance by the defendant in court.

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: (more…)

Some misdemeanor crimes include:

* Vandalism
* Assault
* Bad checks (small amount)
* Shoplifting
* Battery
* Drunk driving
* Possession of unregistered firearm
* Drug offenses

Keep in mind the circumstances surrounding the crime and arrest can dictate whether or not it will be a felony or misdemeanor arrest. A repeat offense, for example, may be considered a felony rather than a misdemeanor offense. (more…)

Petty offenses are minor crimes and include:

* littering
* minor traffic violations
* jaywalking
* parking infractions

These offenders are usually given a ticket and not arrested. (more…)