Misdemeanor Crimes

A misdemeanor is described as a minor criminal offense that is not as severe as a felony but more severe than a regulatory offense. Misdemeanors are penalized by monetary fines, probation, community service, and no more than a year in jail. Misdemeanors are assigns to categories based on the level of seriousness of the criminal act. These classifications generally have a set type of punishment.

While being charged with a misdemeanor may not require a long period in jail, it will still hurt certain areas of your life such as getting a job and certain civil privileges. Take for instance a school or city bus driver gets a DUI, either on the job or not, may not be allowed to get their license back for that job industry. A criminal law attorney is beneficial no matter how minor the crime is.

Misdemeanor Offenses

Petty Theft
Theft is the general term covering grand theft, larceny, stealing, embezzling, and petty theft. In short, it is when you take something that does not belong to you without permission. In most states petty theft involves theft of under a $500 value. Usually anything more than that is labeled grand theft which is a felony.

Simple Assault
Simple assaults are one of the most common misdemeanor crimes committed. However, assaulting a police officer, social worker, or elected officials is considered a felony. Unlike aggravated assault, simple assault is not intended to cause injuries. It is simply used to evade someone or physically harm without injuring.

Public Intoxication
This offense is when an individual causes a disturbance in a private or public area while under the influence of any substance such as drugs or alcohol. Public intoxication is also known as drunken disorderly and will be handled on a state level given the fact that the punishments vary widely. However, some states consider a public intoxication offense as a misdemeanor and others view it as a felony. Thus it is important to know state laws regarding public intoxication.

Indecent Exposure
Indecent exposure is considered a widely diverse misdemeanor given its broad definition. It is the choice of the jurisdiction to enforce this kind of misdemeanor given the fact that the definition of indecent can mean multiple things. Some examples of indecent exposure are streaking and exposing yourself to a minor under the age of 18.

Trespassing
Trespassing is when you are on a property that you are not allowed to be on such as private property. Generally you will see a no trespassing sign to warn that crossing onto that property is illegal. Unfortunately, if you are trespassing and the property owner defends themselves they may not be held responsible in certain situations.

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