In New York, there are two types of crimes – felony and misdemeanor. Both are crimes and if you plead guilty to a felony or a misdemeanor, you will have a permanent criminal record.
When a defendant is charged with Felony, he or she may be sentenced to more than a year in prison. In New York, there are 5 different levels to categorize felonies (A, B, C, D, and E Felonies) and an A felony is the most serious charge. Those who are sentenced for an A Felony will serve a longer jail time than any other felony categories and will be charged with a substantial penalty fine.
When a defendant is charged with a Misdemeanor, he or she may serve up to a maximum of one year in New York City or County jail. There are two types of misdemeanor, Class A and Class B.
The penalty for a Class A Misdemeanor may be no more than one year in jail and for a Class B Misdemeanor the maximum penalty is 3 months in jail.
When a defendant is charged with a Disorderly Conduct, he or she may serve up to 15 days in jail, although that rarely happens in New York. The most important point about a violation is that it is not a crime, merely a violation. Usually defendants will pay a fine with no criminal records and no jail time.
If you are charged with any crime in New York City, call our NYC criminal lawyer at (212) 557-6677 to set up an immediate consultation.