What is a felony?
A felony is defined as a crime punishable by at least 1 year of imprisonment as opposed to a misdemeanor, which is a crime punishable by less than 1 year of imprisonment. A felony is a very serious crime and conviction will also cause the loss of right to own firearms, loss of voting rights, and the inability to be employed in certain industries in most jurisdictions.
Examples of felonies include:
- Murder
- Arson
- Burglary
- Rape or other sex crimes
- Drug possession
- Drug possession with intent to sell
- Drug trafficking
- Aggravated assault
- Aggravated battery
- Entering auto
- Identify theft
- Deposit account fraud
- Theft (over $500 in value)