misdemeanor
Lesser criminal offense
A misdemeanor is a criminal offense less serious than a felony, typically punishable by fines, probation, community service, or jail time of less than a year.
Common misdemeanors include petty theft, simple assault, trespassing, and minor drug possession.
The distinction between misdemeanor and felony varies by jurisdiction, but misdemeanors generally carry lighter sentences and fewer long-term consequences.
He was charged with a misdemeanor for shoplifting.
Charge-reading court session
- citationMention of a source
- defendantParty facing charges
- pleaFormal request or defense
- probationSupervised trial period
expungement · statute · jurisdiction · prosecution · hearing · sentence · court · judge
Acceptable in quality
- probationSupervised trial period
- community serviceUnpaid labor benefiting society
- restitutionRestoring what was lost
- jail timePeriod of imprisonment
suspended sentence · diversion program · court costs · rehabilitation · penalty · sanction · time served · work release
Minor stealing offense
- shopliftingStealing store merchandise
- vandalismWillful property damage
- trespassingUnauthorized presence on property
- public intoxicationInebriation in shared spaces
disorderly conduct · simple assault · reckless driving · disturbing the peace · indecent exposure · resisting arrest · harassment · loitering
Of little importance
- minorScale with lowered third
- lesserLower in degree
- low-levelLacking rank or advancement
- nonviolentNot using physical force
Class A · wobbler · unclassified · simple · infraction · petty offense · noncriminal · decriminalized
arraignment
Charge-reading court session
probation · expungement · statute · jurisdiction · prosecution · hearing · sentence · court · judge · lawyer
fine
Acceptable in quality
- probationSupervised trial period
- community serviceUnpaid labor benefiting society
- restitutionRestoring what was lost
jail time · suspended sentence · diversion program · court costs · rehabilitation · penalty · sanction · time served · work release · house arrest
petty theft
Minor stealing offense
- shopliftingStealing store merchandise
- vandalismWillful property damage
- trespassingUnauthorized presence on property
public intoxication · disorderly conduct · simple assault · reckless driving · disturbing the peace · indecent exposure · resisting arrest · harassment · loitering · vagrancy
petty
Of little importance
nonviolent · Class A · wobbler · unclassified · simple · infraction · petty offense · noncriminal · decriminalized · reducible
- criminal justicearrest, jail, court, prison, crime
- criminal lawcrime, felony, murder, robbery, theft
- Class Systemsdrug scheduling, hazmat, felony, minor leagues, baseball league
- background checkscriminal record, criminal records, criminal check, criminal record check, employment verification
- crimesarson, burglary, robbery, kidnapping, vandalism
- criminal trialarraignment, defense attorney, courtroom, criminal trial, prosecutor
misdemeanorfelony
Serious criminal offense
capital crime · infraction · petty offense · violation · capital offense
- misdemeanor chargeAccusation of minor crime
- misdemeanor casesProsecutions for minor crimes