Whether you know someone personally who has been convicted of a felony or you are simply just familiar with the term, you undoubtedly know this is not something to be taken lightly. There are many different types of felony crimes, all of which come with serious repercussions that will stay on your record for many years to come. In addition to impacting your life personally, felony crimes also directly affect the public. These types of crimes are unlawful acts that are far more serious than misdemeanor crimes, which is why it is important to retain the services of a felony charge lawyer.
It should be noted that felony crimes are both violent and non-violent. With this, felonies are extremely serious and considered to have more of an impact to public safety than misdemeanor and petty crimes. Before we go over the most common felony crimes identified by the Uniform Crime Reports, we thought it would be helpful to outline some of the differences between felonies and misdemeanors.
Felony vs. Misdemeanor: What’s the Difference?
While it is true that both misdemeanors and felonies carry a potential jail time, they do differ in other ways. Here is a look at each:
- Misdemeanor Charges: These types of charges take place when a person is convicted of a crime with a punishment of jail time equally one year or less. Misdemeanor crimes are less serious than felonies. The following are examples of misdemeanors:
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![man_buying_drugs]()
- Shoplifting
- Trespassing and vandalism
- Disorderly conduct
- Simple assault
- First DUI
- Felony Charges: These types of crimes are more serious, which means the prison term is longer than one year in most cases. There are four categories of felonies:
- First Degree
- Second Degree
- Third Degree
- Fourth Degree
The Most Common Felony Crimes
There are numerous different kinds of felony crimes, all of which are very serious. Here is a brief look at the 10 most common, as identified by the Uniform Crime Reports:
- Drugs – These violations are the most common, with about 2,000,000 annually
- Property crimes – Including auto theft, burglary, larceny, arson, and theft
- Assault – This felony is unfortunately common, with more than 1,000,000 offenses annually
- Disorderly conduct – Includes various crimes that pose a risk to society
- Violent crimes – Such as manslaughter, murder, robbery, assault, and rape
- Burglary
- Vandalism
- Domestic violence – This includes child abuse
- Grand auto theft
- Forgery and counterfeiting – Including writing checks on someone else’s account and printing fake money
With the help of a knowledgeable Oklahoma felony charge attorney, you will be able to better understand the charges against you and, in some cases, have the punishment lessened. If you have been convicted of a felony crime in Oklahoma or have any questions about felony charges, contact AMA Law today.