Misdemeanors are a class of crimes considered less serious, and typically carry a maximum penalty of one year in county jail.
Some examples include:
- First-offense drunk driving and other traffic violations,
- Petty theft (usually classified as theft of less than $500)
- Possession of small amounts of controlled substances, and
- Assault not resulting in bodily injury.
More serious crimes are classified as felonies and carry punishments of a year or more in state or federal prison.
Felonies include violent crimes such as rape, murder and armed robbery, as well as so-called white-collar crimes. White collar crime refers primarily to offenses where financial gain is attained using some form of deception. Examples of white-collar crimes are tax evasion, insider trading, insurance fraud, bribery, embezzlement, and money laundering.