What happens when a person is charged with a felony?
A felony is a serious criminal charge, which is defined in terms of a possible punishment in excess of one year in jail. In most cases, a felony prosecution starts with an arrest. Written police reports are presented to the State’s Attorney’s Office, which then decides what charges, if any, should be filed and whether those charges will be felonies or misdemeanors. Misdemeanors are less serious crimes punishable by no more than a year in county jail and/or a possible fine. Felony charges may also be filed even though there has not been an arrest. For example, the police may conduct an investigation of a crime and identify a suspect. Rather than arresting that person, the police may instead present their investigation to the State’s Attorney, who may file charges with the court, and an arrest warrant is issued. The State’s Attorney may also present evidence to the Grand Jury, which listens to the evidence presented by the State, and decides whether there is sufficient evidence to bring
