Felony and misdemeanor

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 440.

Not all crimes are viewed as equally serious by the law or by the public in general. Failing to put money in a parking meter is obviously a lesser offense than burglary. The law has recognized these distinctions and divided crimes into the categories of felony and misdemeanor.

Until recently, British common law classified offenses as treasons, felonies, and misdemeanors. Among the felonies recognized under common law were homicide, arson (поджог), rape, robbery, burglary, and larceny. In the modern period the number of felonies has been significantly enlarged by legislation to include such offenses as kidnapping, tax evasion, and drug dealing.

Misdemeanor is a term applied in Anglo-American law to offenses that are neither treasons nor felonies. In the United Stales there is a sub-classification of misdemeanor called petty offense. Among the more common petty offenses are disorderly conduct, public drunkenness, and ordinary automobile driving violations. Some sex offenses are misdemeanors, while others are classified as felonies.

Some misdemeanors are, like felonies, indictable offenses, or those subject to action by a grand jury. Some types of assault, perjury (лжесвидетельство), minor sex offenses, selling liquor to minors, and operating an illegal gambling establishment are among the more common misdemeanors of this type. These differ from felonies largely in the punishments for them. Misdemeanors in the United Stales are those offenses punishable by fines or by imprisonment in a local jail, while felonies are punishable by terms in a stale or federal prison.