punishable by imprisonment or death. Murder, manslaughter, burglary, robbery, and arson are examples of felonies. The second major classification of a crime is a misdemeanor. A misdemeanor is a less serious crime with a less severe penalty. Misdemeanors that aren’t as serious are known as petty offenses. Driving an automobile without a license, lying about your age to purchase alcohol, and leaving the scene of an automobile accident are all examples of misdemeanors. Crimes are defined by two elements
law requires, among other things, a minimum sentence of 25 years to life for three-time repeat offenders with multiple prior serious or violent felony convictions. The Legislature and voters passed the Three Strikes law after several high profile murders committed by ex-felons raised concern that violent offenders were being released from prison only to commit new, often serious and violent, crimes in the community. Repeat offenders are perhaps the most difficult of criminal offenders for state
it began to impact the very foundations of the Justice System and those who work on it in several ways. Frankly, it 's my belief that career criminals or those who have committed serious offenses should not be allowed to make an appeal. Crimes like murder, theft of large amounts of money or assault cases should not be allowed to go to a plea bargain. On the other hand, first-time offenders, petty criminals and individuals who are in cases with circumstantial evidence should be allowed to plea. Plea
Possessing a forged instrument or document could get you arrested also. Unless the person unknowingly has a hold of it. The penalties of signature fraud are different for each case or state. If someone’s case is sent to court and comes back as a misdemeanor (a criminal offense considered less serious than a felony) they may serve the minimum sentence for that crime. Such as 2 years in jail or a corrections facility and a fine of $500. The offender may also be given community service and /or put on
field of research is to educate and explain my own personal views. After conducting this research I have come to the conclusion that the labeling theory plays a big part in the making of habitual offenders. As people we see the word felony or even misdemeanor after a person’s name and we immediately write them off as just that. If society continues this, and never give these people a second chance to actually start over and do better, what else can they do, other than live up to what society has already
are three levels in which a crime can fall. Depending on the severity of the crime committed, it can fall into one of these three. The highest level, a crime is considered to be a “Felony”, at the mid-range they are referred to as a “Misdemeanor”, and on the lowest end, they are called an “Infraction.” Certain people have different perspectives on a crimes impact on society, and can be biased depending on the individual; among these many views, three are directly connected to the
robbery, theft, witchcraft, and violence. Witchcraft is a form of magic that is used against religion and medical purposes. The punishments for felonies varied in severity. The punishments could be death by hanging or to be beheaded. The many misdemeanors that a person could commit are begging, forgery, being in debt, petty theft, adultery, and fraud. Generally, the punishments for these crimes were whipping, starvation, burning at the stake, removal of limbs, and hanging, and branding. The Nobility
Felony disenfranchisement is legally revoking citizens, who have been imprisoned for felony charges, of their right to vote. States are currently allowed, by law, to forbid felons from voting. In thirty-eight states, including the District of Columbia, felons’ rights to vote are restored immediately after they have completed their sentences and probational consequences (“Felony Voting Rights”). In other states, ex-cons must go through a process to get their voting rights back, which they have to
In 1994 fifteen states participated in a study on released prisoners. The study was to show the recidivism rates. “Recidivism is a tendency to relapse into a previous condition or mode of behavior; especially: relapse into criminal behavior”, according to Webster’s dictionary. Recidivism is one of the main causes of people being in prison now. In a study by the Pew Center, it was shown that there has been minimum improvement on the recidivism rates in the United States. Even though the rates vary
Should Felons Vote? In the United States 2.2 million citizens are incarcerated on felony charges. Laws in America prohibit felons from voting. As a result, on Election Day 5.3 million citizens of America are disenfranchised because of crimes they once committed. Though they once broke the law, they have served their time and have been punished adequately in accordance with the American Justice System. Felons should regain full voting rights after their stint in prison. Most politicians argue that
Does it make sense for women to take self-defence lessons? This is an interesting topic to discuss, but there is no clear answer. Many people would agree that women should be able to defend themselves against the violent world – others would say men need to ensure that the world is a safe environment to prevent these vile attacks. Wouldn’t you wish to live in a crime-free world? Everyone would! Picture this: You are a weary, stressed, and miserable single mother, raising two delightfully bright
The use of juvenile records in adult criminal cases has been an ongoing, contested debate for many years. The effects of using one’s juvenile record in criminal court could be very damning. This week’s case summary is in regard to this very issue. In People v. Smith (1991), the defendant in this case, Ricky Smith stated that he was wrongly sentenced to the maximum length of 180 months under a statute which utilized his juvenile record to deem that he was a habitual offender. A closer examination
Felon voting laws limit the restrictions for a felon to vote on any election. “Felon voting has not been federally regulated because some people argue that Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act can be tied to felon disenfranchisement and the Congress has the authority to legislate felon voting in federal elections.” Felon disenfranchisement is excluding people otherwise eligible to vote from voting due to conviction of a criminal offence, usually restricted to the more serious class of crimes, felonies
The Board entered into a Stipulation in Settlement of Accusation 175 against Fred C. Guenther in January of 1977. Guenther's civil engineering license was suspended for six months, but the suspension was stayed except for the first thirty days and Guenther was placed on probation for one year. A second accusation, Number 219-A, was filed for violations of Business and Professions Code sections 8780 (c) in conjunction with section 8762 and section 8780 (a). The decision, effective August 29, 1983
some states, the felon may have to wait a certain amount of years before they are able to vote. I think that people with violent felonies such as murder, rape, aggravated assault, or battery should not be able to vote whatsoever. Out of the United States of America, Michigan ranks #6 in having the most violent crimes. Some violent felonies include: murders, rapes, aggravated assault, battery, vehicular homicide, etc. According to publisher, Scripps Howard in his publication Felon Voting Laws states
Reckless driving is extremely dangerous and is considered to be anyone who is driving with carelessness and/or who has no regard for the safety of others on the road. Reckless driving is considered to be a misdemeanor. A misdemeanor is a criminal act that is less severe then receiving a felony. Your punishments are also not as severe as penalties. Penalties for reckless driving include fines of up to $1,000, jail time, getting your parole revoked, two points on your driving record, insurance rates
What does it actually mean to be a good citizen, and how do we go about earning such a distinguished label? Different philosophers have answered this question in various ways; education, critical thinking skills, and active participation within the global community are all answers conjectured by the great thinkers of history. Regardless of the intellectual at hand, all of these scholars - from Cincinnatus to Aristotle - agree that there are a few distinct character traits which distinguish average
to think about where this whole cycle of crime started. If we can get in front of it, maybe there won’t be a person on the other end who is killing a police officer like Dan” (Kaplan and Emmons 1). The change of low level crimes from felonies to misdemeanors will save hundreds of millions of dollars each year while giving the offender a second chance—eliminating the immediate sentence to prison. Wilson makes it clear that her goal is to get the Contra Costa Times readers to vote yes on Prop 47, for
““Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands.” .Parental responsibility means being responsible for your child’s wellbeing, looking after your child every day, feeding and clothing your child, making decisions about their schooling, deciding whether to consent to medical treatment and making decisions about their religious upbringing. In parental rights and parental responsibilities the court upheld the
school, erases class files” CNN-6/11/2003 “Girls charged over sickening cake” CNN-11/19/2004 “An epidemic of violence” CNN-3/8/2001 “King Brothers get reduced jail sentences” CNN-11/14/2002 “School Shooting suspect to face attempted murder charge” CNN-3/23/2001