What is the difference between a disorderly persons offense and a felony?
Most crimes are divided into two categories, based on the severity of the crime: disorderly person’s offense and felony. State law governs which crimes are considered more serious than others. Generally speaking, a disorderly person’s offense is one where the maximum penalty is one year or less in prison. A felony crime is a more serious crime that can result in jail or prison time for more than one year. Felony charges also bring a number of other legal repercussions if the defendant is convicted. In some states, under certain circumstances, a crime can be considered a disorderly persons offense or a felony, depending on the specifics of the case. A qualified attorney can maximize your chance that your crime is charged as a lesser offense. When a fine is the punishment for a legal violation, the action is considered an infarction rather than a criminal offense. For example, a parking ticket is an infarction rather than a criminal charge. In some cases, however, a crime may only receiv
