Misdemeanors and Felonies in Wisconsin Posted on 2010/06/16 |

Felonies are grave attorneys">criminal offenses that often have severe punishments for those who performed them. As defined by the federal government, a felony is an offense that is punishable by at least one year in prison. In Wisconsin, the punishment for committed felonies includes a term in state or federal prison, and is often times coupled with a considerable fine. Felonies can result in the revocation of not only civilian privileges (licenses, appointments) but also civil rights. Civil liberties that may be taken away include the right to vote, the right to bear arms, and the right to serve on a jury. In some states, for certain severe cases, a felon may be sentenced to death. However, in Wisconsin the death penalty does not exist.

In Wisconsin there exist nine separate classes of felonies, ranging from Class A (having the highest level of punishment, life in prison) to Class I (having the lowest level of punishment, a fine and several years in prison). Examples of felonies include fraud, rape, theft, assault, and murder.

As opposed to a felony, a misdemeanor is typically defined as ''a lesser attorneys">criminal act.'' Misdemeanors are often times classified on different levels. In Wisconsin, there are three types of misdemeanor: Class A, Class B, and Class C. Each one represents a different level of severity in the wrongdoing of the attorneys">criminal individual. Typically, the further down the alphabet the classification letter lies, the lesser the attorneys">criminal offense. A Class C misdemeanor is punished less severely than one that falls under Class A. Despite the fact that misdemeanors are of a lower level of severity than felonies, they still are considered criminal offenses and will remain on one's criminal record.

Misdemeanors cover a wide range of offenses, and it is typically the judge's decision about what class offense has been performed. Examples of misdemeanors include marijuana possession, public intoxication, DUI, and basic assaults.

Typically the punishments for those who have committed misdemeanors include probation, fines or jail time. Jail time for misdemeanors is spent in a local jail, instead of a state or federal prison. Misdemeanants also experience the revocation of citizen privileges, but never their constitutional rights. This means that they can have licenses or appointments taken away, but freedoms such as the right to a fair and just trial or the freedom to choose where to live and work remain.