Misdemeanor Or Felony - How Bad Is It?

If you have been charged with a crime, one of the first questions you might have is how serious a penalty you might be facing.  On Maui, and in all of Hawaii, there are several different categories of crimes.

A felony is the most serious crime that you can be charged with.  Felonies have a maximum possible penalty of more than a year in prison.  Felonies are usually labeled as Class A, B or C with Class A being the most serious.  Examples of Class A felonies are kidnapping, arson and rape.  Class B and C felonies have lower maximum possible prison terms but are still considered to be serious crimes.  Murder and attempted murder are listed only as felonies and not placed in a particular class. 

A misdemeanor has a maximum jail sentence of one year.  Examples of misdemeanors in Hawaii are driving under the influence, disorderly conduct and third degree theft.  A crime can also be a petty misdemeanor which has a maximum possible jail sentence of 30 days.  An example of a petty misdemeanor is fourth degree theft, which is a theft of less than $300.

For more information on how crimes are classified click on the following link to the Hawaii statute listing different levels of crimes.  

HRS §701-107 

On Maui there are also violations, which have even lower penalties.  Violations are not considered crimes and include motor vehicle violations such as speeding and improper parking. 

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