Felony

The most serious crimes with which one can be charged are categorized under felony law and can carry the stiffest punishments, including the death penalty. Whether or not a specific crime is a felony depends upon the state in which is it committed and tried. Although most people who hear about a felony crime tend to think of murder, rape, kidnapping, etc., in some states, felony behaviors include consensual sodomy, possession of obscene materials, and vandalism.

From the outset, most felony cases are handled a little differently than misdemeanors; defendants are less likely to be eligible for bail, since felony crimes are often more dangerous to society and the potential punishment for a felony conviction may provide sufficient motivation to make the defendant a flight risk. The amount of preparation by legal teams handling a felony case is usually more extensive for both the prosecution and the defense. This makes it especially important for persons facing felony charges to immediately retain the best attorney available, because the state will generally commit itself to fully prosecuting felony cases. (Media attention is also usually much greater and more intense when there are felony charges involved, creating added pressure for the prosecution to obtain a conviction.) Persons convicted of a felony have the right to appeal their cases, and in more than one instance, a felony conviction has been overturned later on.

The potential penalties for the commission of a felony are daunting: imprisonment for a considerable length of time including life in prison and in some felony cases, the death penalty. Even after parole ends, many people with a past felony conviction continue to suffer the consequences: difficulty finding a job, social stigmatization, complications in future legal proceedings as a result of a felony in their criminal history, etc. Many states have legislation that restricts or prohibits the voting rights of anyone convicted of a felony. While voting rights in some states are restored after the completion of a sentence, certain states permanently disenfranchise anyone convicted of a felony, even after the sentence has been served. The consequences of a felony conviction are serious and far-reaching.