What is convicted felony means

Did you know? Example Sentences Learn More About felony. Examples of felony in a Sentence The crime is considered a felony under state law. He was convicted of felony murder.

Clair County, and online court records indicate there are pending grand jury actions in the case, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. First Known Use of felony 14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1. History and Etymology for felony see felon entry 1. Learn More About felony. Time Traveler for felony The first known use of felony was in the 14th century See more words from the same century.

From the Editors at Merriam-Webster. Style: MLA. English Language Learners Definition of felony. Supervised release. Other states and the federal system use a system of supervised release instead of parole. Supervised release differs from parole in that judges set the supervised release period at the time of sentencing. For instance, a judge might sentence a person to 15 years—12 years of incarceration and three years of supervised release.

The actual amount of time spent on supervised release can be less if the inmate commits a crime or any disciplinary violations in prison. Like parole, supervised release comes with conditions.

Violations of conditions. Violating a condition of parole or supervised release can land a person back in prison to serve out the remainder of the sentence. In addition to the potential loss of liberty, a felony conviction can be very expensive. Convictions of many crimes require payment of fines—money that goes to state and local governments. A judge usually orders a felon to also pay restitution, which is money paid to the victim of a crime or to a state restitution fund to help crime victims pay for losses or expenses related to the crime.

If a person is placed on probation, the offender usually pays the related supervision costs, such as fees for drug or alcohol testing, costs for electronic monitoring, or anything else required to successfully complete probation. And on top of all that, felonies often come with court fees or surcharges.

After completing a felony sentence, the person ends up with a criminal record, which can have long-lasting effects on a person's future, impacting employment, immigration status , housing, and civil rights. These secondary effects are often referred to as "collateral consequences. Felony record. State law often restricts persons convicted of certain crimes from working in particular professions or obtaining a professional license, like a general contractor or cosmetology license. A felony conviction can affect housing options as well—sometimes making an individual and family no longer eligible for federal housing.

Those convicted of sexual offenses can face severe restrictions on where they may live and usually must register as a sex offender in each place they live or visit.

The judicial process is a complex one, but, in general, once a person is charged, they go on trial. A judge and in many cases with a jury hears the evidence presented against them brought by the prosecution as well as as their defense.

If convicted , the person has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt or declared guilty of the offense. Word fact: Convict is related to the word convince. After a conviction in criminal as opposed to civil proceedings, sentencing is next.

When sentenced , the convicted criminal is issued a formal judgment that usually pronounces the punishment, which often includes time in prison or fines. For instance, if the defendant is charged with felony assault, but the victim knowingly consented to the act, then the defendant can assert consent as a defense and may potentially get their sentence reduced.

The laws of a state and the type of crime committed can also affect the sentencing a defendant receives. Which way the charges end up falling will depend on whether specific factors were present during commission of the crime.

For instance, if no aggravating factors exist e. In addition to any criminal consequences, the defendant may also be faced with a civil lawsuit.

This means that they may have to pay both criminal fines and civil damages. For example, a victim of domestic violence may press charges and sue the defendant for compensation.

In this case, the defendant may be liable for compensating them for medical bills and lost wages. However, if the defendant can show their actions were done in self-defense or some other defense that causes the plaintiff to lose or their claims to become questionable, then the defendant may be able to get their civil penalties reduced or dropped.

Getting a felony expunged i. The general rule of thumb is that the more serious the crime committed, the less likely a person can have it expunged. Thus, felonies such as sex crimes, first-degree murder, and child pornography are typically not eligible for expungement.

Some factors that make it more likely that the court will consider a request for expungement include if the person was a minor when the crime was committed, the nature of the crime charged, the amount of time that has passed since the conviction or arrest, and if they have completed all court-ordered requirements for their sentence. Note that there is a difference between when a defendant gets arrested for a felony versus when they are charged with a felony.

A felony arrest simply means that the suspect is in custody based on the belief that they committed a felony. On the other hand, a felony charge means that an official legal proceeding has been initiated against the person.

Although still not an easy feat, it is much more likely that a court will expunge an arrest for a felony than a felony charge. A felon is a person who has been charged and convicted of a felony offense.

This often means that they received a jail or prison sentence for at least one year, and possibly longer. Having a record will make it difficult to find a job, gain custody rights over children, and can take away the right to vote in elections. Additionally, if a felon is charged and convicted of another crime in the future, their resulting punishment will most likely be more severe than their last e.

If you are facing charges for a felony offense, then you should strongly consider hiring a local criminal defense attorney for assistance. Your attorney will be able to explain how the laws in your state apply to your particular case, the consequences of a conviction, and the next steps you should take.

In addition, your attorney can help you prepare and file documents with the court for your case, and can provide representation on your behalf as well. Your attorney will also be able to determine if there are any defenses you can raise against the charges and whether there is a possibility to have your charges reduced or dropped.