A felony is a crime that carries a prison sentence of more than one year. Because of the severe nature of such offenses, it is extremely important that you have an attorney who is ready and able to fight for you in court. Crimes of Violence, such as murder, manslaughter, negligence homicide, assault, sexual assault, and terroristic threatening

• Property Crimes, including robbery, burglary, white collar crimes, extortion, and theft
• Gambling
• Drug-Related Crimes, including drug trafficking, possession of marijuana, possession of cocaine, other drug possession charges, and drug paraphernalia
• Firearm Offenses, such as failure to acquire a handgun permit or handgun license
• Automobile Theft, including grand larceny, unauthorized control of a propelled vehicle, and unauthorized entry into a motor vehicle

Federal law and most state laws define a felony as a crime that is punishable by imprisonment of more than one year. Other states define a felony as a crime that is punishable by death or a prison sentence served in a state penitentiary. Typically, the most serious crimes, such as racketeering, weapons charges, crimes of force or violence, drug distribution or large financial crimes are classified as felonies. Some states also break down the class of felonies to higher and lower felonies. For example, some states consider a 4th degree felony a crime that is punishable by 3 years or less incarceration, a third degree felony which is punishable by up to five years incarceration, a 2nd Degree felony which is typically punishable by up to 10 years incarceration, and 1st degree or class 1 felony which is punishable by up to 20 years or more. Examples of higher level felonies include murder, rape, arson, burglary and kidnapping and large scale drug distribution charges.
Indigent defendants who cannot afford to hire lawyers and are facing felony charges have the right to free state-appointed criminal defense attorneys. Additionally, defendants being charged with felonies also have the right to have their case presented to a grand jury to consider. The consequences of a felony conviction may include the loss of the right to vote; ineligibility to obtain a professional licenses (such as a realtor, beautician, CPA, securities broker and even an attorney); restrictions on the right to possess weapons; ineligibility for housing, public benefits, educational financial aid benefits; immigration issues; loss lose of parental rights: or the requirement to register with certain criminal registries, such as sex offender registries or drug offender registries that are published and reported to the community where you reside.
A limited number of crimes, such as murder which can be punished by the death penalty, and are often referred to as capital offenses. As with all felony cases, the defendant will always have the right to a jury trial. However, Because of the severe nature of the offense, it is extremely important that you have an attorney who is ready and able to represent you in court if you have been charged with a felony. Your life is about to take a very serious change and only a well seasoned and skilled criminal defense attorney will be able to properly represent you and protect your rights.

If you have been arrested or charged with a crime, or if you think you may be under investigation for a crime, contact criminal defense lawyer today to schedule a confidential consultation to discuss your defense options.