A person charged with misdemeanor charges is accused of committing a “lesser” criminal act. In general, misdemeanor charges are punished much less severely than felonies, although a person charged with a misdemeanor still faces far more serious charges than an individual who as committed administrative infractions, also known as regulatory infractions.

 

 

Although misdemeanor charges are only filed in common law jurisdictions, the same distinction is made in civil law jurisdictions. In civil law countries, such as France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland or Belgium, misdemeanor charges are known as contraventions.

 

 

In the United States of America, misdemeanor charges may force the person charged with these offenses to spend a period of incarceration of less than a year, with all crimes that require longer periods of incarceration to be felonies. 

 

 

However, many other common law countries, such as the Common wealth nations of Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United Kingdom no longer make the same distinctions; instead of felony and misdemeanor charges, they identify summary offenses and indictable offenses.

 

 

An individual convicted of misdemeanor charges is known as a misdemeanor. Common violations that may result in a person being charged with misdemeanor charges are petty theft, prostitution, public intoxication, simple assault, disorderly conduct, trespass, vandalism, drug possession, reckless driving, and other similar charges.

 

 

Conviction on misdemeanor charges may not result in the loss of civil rights, although they may cause individuals to lose privileges such as licenses, public office, or public employment.

 

Driving Under the Influence laws have developed in order to replace the older, synonymous Driving While Intoxicated. The reason that DUI charges have replace the older laws is because of an increased awareness that even if an individual has a high enough blood alcohol content level, or BAC level, they may not present the appearance of being intoxicated, although they will still be affected, or influenced, by their consumption of alcohol.

 

 

DUI charges have also become more common place that DWI charges because a DUI charge can be used to include individuals who have consumed drugs. Modifying their Driving While Intoxicated charges to become generalized DUI charges allowed jurisdictions to not require separate statutes for similar drug and alcohol violations.

 

 

Depending on the particular jurisdiction, DUI charges can have various names. Some of these names include

 

 

Driving under the influence,

 

 

Driving under intense influence,

 

 

Driving while intoxicated,

 

 

Operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated,

 

 

Driving under the combined influence of alcohol and/or other drugs,

 

 

Driving under the influence per se,

 

 

or drunk in charge [of a vehicle.

 

 

Although DUI charges are primarily associated with the use and abuse of a motor vehicle such as a car or truck, DUI charges can also be filed against individuals driving other vehicles, such as a bicycle.

 

 

Per se DUI charges are a recent development in that they aloe DUI charges to be filed if a person’s blood alcohol content is at or above a certain legal limit without requiring the actual impairment or influence to be proven.

 

Charge b/g

 

 

Criminal charges may be filed against an individual for a variety of offenses. A criminal charge may be a misdemeanor charge or a felony charge. Different criminal charges require different punishments, although a criminal charge sentencing guideline is available to help judges and juries assess an appropriate punishment.

 

 

DUI Charges

 

 

DUI Charges are usually charged if an individual has a blood alcohol content level (BAC) above a certain level. These BAC levels allow DUI charges to be filed pro se, meaning it is not needed to prove the influence, only that the BAC level is elevated.

 

 

DWI Charges

 

 

Before BAC levels could be tested easily, an individual could be charged with DWI. However, DWI charges fell out of favor because it was difficult to conclusively prove that an individual was intoxicated.

 

 

Misdemeanor charges

 

 

Misdemeanor charges are leveled against individuals charged with less serious offenses. Common Misdemeanor charges are petty theft, prostitution, public intoxication, simple assault, disorderly conduct, trespass, vandalism, drug possession, and reckless driving.

 

 

Felony charges

 

 

Police charge felony charges if they have evidence of serious wrong doing. Felony charges include but are not limited to aggravated assault, battery, arson, burglary, the sale of illegal drugs, grand theft, robbery, murder, rape, and illegal drug use.

 

 

Assault charges

 

 

Assault charges develop if a person has reasonable cause to be apprehensive that they are placed in danger of bodily harm through the willful actions of another person who intends to cause them harmful or offensive contact.