Felony

From ArticleWorld

Felony is the term given by most legal jurisdictions to grave or serious crimes, as opposed to misdemeanors which is the term given for offenses that are not so serious.

What are felonies?

The following crimes are considered as felonies:

• rape
• aggravated assault
• murder
• arson

Pretty soon, illegal immigration may already be considered a felony with the approval of a proposal that has been submitted to congress. The proposal is the response of some American lawmakers to the increasing illegal immigration to the United States from Mexico and other countries.

Crimes that are considered as a felony used to be punished with death or a fine. Today, a felony is punishable by probation, imprisonment or even death. There are countries that provide additional punishments to felons by taking away their right to vote or to run for public office, prohibiting them from getting licenses, and banning them from certain work sectors.

Sanctions

While a felony is generally punishable by imprisonment of not less than a year, there are states that do not anymore classify crimes either as a felony or a misdemeanor but in terms of degrees. In New Jersey, crimes are classified from first to fourth degree. Other states that have maintained the classification further classified the crimes into class A or class B felonies.

In the United States, a citizen who has been convicted for a felony can get additional punishments like not being allowed to vote or to serve as a jury. However, such disability is regained after the sentence has been served and his civil rights restored.

There is however an additional punishment that goes with being convicted for a felony, but are not automatically cancelled. A good example is the prohibition to possess firearms. The prohibition is only negated if the offense is pardoned.