A felony is considered a more serious crime than the many misdemeanors that are listed in New York law books. In most cases, a felony is a violent crime that can have punishments ranging from one year in prison to the death penalty, if the death penalty is in force. Being convicted of a felony takes away your right to vote, your right to own a handgun, and in some instances it can even dictate where you have to live. There are seven major felonies in New York State and if you are ever accused of one of these crimes, you should definitely hire a good Staten Island lawyer.
Murder Or Manslaughter
The intentional taking of a life is usually considered murder, while the unintentional taking of a life is considered manslaughter. These are considered the most serious of the felony crimes and they usually get the strictest penalties attached to them.
Rape
As with any felony crime, there are many levels and subcategories associated with rape. It is important to note that rape does not specify any gender. The act of forcing yourself sexually on another human being is considered rape.
Robbery
There are several degrees to robbery that can affect the type of sentence a perpetrator would get. For example, an unarmed mugging is going to bring about less of a sentence than an armed robbery of a tourist. In this category of felony, there is usually a strong attempt made to make sure the charge accurately reflects the crime as opposed to using generic charges in each situation. Robbery is generally considered to be a person-to-person theft of property.
Felony Assault
Felony assault is used when the incident is particularly violent, or when the act is done using some sort of weapon. Assault charges that stem from a physical confrontation between two people without weapons is not going to reach the same status as a felony assault where weapons are normally involved.
Burglary
Burglary occurs when a person enters a building to commit a crime. For example, an armed bank robbery is generally considered one of the most significant types of felony burglaries that can be committed. The use of weapons, whether the weapons were actually used to harm potential victims or not, can escalate the severity of these felony charges.
Grand Larceny
Grand larceny, in general, is a crime of theft involving extremely expensive property. The punishments for grand larceny crimes are determine based on the value of the property stolen. In New York State, the grand larceny scale starts at $1,000.00 in value which can bring up to four years in prison.
Grand Larceny Of A Motor Vehicle
Grand larceny laws, when it comes to motor vehicles, are very specific. Once again, the severity of the penalty depends on the value of the vehicle.
If you are facing felony charges, then you want to hire a good Staten Island lawyer as soon as possible. With your crime, you could be facing prison time and fines that would cause you significant financial hardship for many years to come.