A criminal activity is any action that has been prohibited by the government because it threatens and harms the safety and welfare of the public. Crimes are classified into two categories, misdemeanors, which are seen as less serious, and felonies, which are serious misconducts that attract capital punishment. If you have been arrested and charged with a serious crime, you need to understand the seriousness of the charges and the possible repercussions. You will also need to hire a Criminal law lawyer to have a chance at a fair and favorable hearing.
Types of crimes
- Violent felonies: These are generally serious crimes that have been identified as more serious than misdemeanors. They include murder and attempted murder, aggravated assault, arson, robbery, rape, sexual assault and manslaughter. Most of these attract very heavy punishment ranging from at least 5 years imprisonment to life imprisonment and a fine of not more than $10000.
- Non-violent felonies: These include drug dealing and trafficking or smuggling, property offenses and other white collar crimes. Property crimes include burglary, fraud forgery, acting in ways that can be described as vandalism and receiving property that has been stolen. White-collar crimes happen in a business setup. They include tax evasion, money laundering, and any other fraudulent activities.
- Misdemeanors: A misdemeanor is supposed to be less severe than a felony and more serious than a regulatory offense and less serious than a felony. These crimes include petty theft, being intoxicated in public, trespass, indecent exposure and simple assault. These crimes do not attract as heavy a punishment as the serious crimes.
The importance of hiring a lawyer
First of all, a competent lawyer like Coates will look at your situation and the charges you are facing and help determine the seriousness of the case. In case you are innocent, they will subpoena reports and all other evidence that the DA has and re-examine it to try and get clues that could lead to exoneration. They will also negotiate for you so you can get less severe punishment for your crime.
These are the important things to know about Criminal law. Coates & Coates P.A. is a firm of the most competent criminal defense attorneys in town. For more information on the services they offer, go to website.
