In common law jurisdictions, felony charges are considered serious charges that can be leveled against an individual. In the United States of America, if the district attorney and police charge an individual with felony charges, it means that an individual is facing a prison sentence of more than a year in prison.

 

 

Felony charges are the most sever charges allowed under a common law system. Felony charges include capital charges, although the two are not synonymous. All capital charges are felony charges, but the inverse is not true.

 

 

In civil law jurisdictions, felony charges can be equated in delicts in countries such as Italy and Spain, while countries such as France, Belgium, and Switzerland equate their charges of crimes and delicts with the common law felony charges.

 

 

The police charge a person with a felony if they have evidence that the person has committed a serious crime, such as aggravated assault, battery, arson, burglary, illegal drug use, the sale of illegal drugs, grand theft, robbery, murder, rape, and the vandalism of federal property. Felony charges can be categorized as violent crimes or non-violent offenses.

 

 

Sometimes, the distinction between felony charges and the less serious misdemeanors can be minor.

 

 

Felony charges can involve a broad range of punishments, which encompass many different levels of severity, ranging from probation, to imprisonment, to execution.

 

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.