Misdemeanor 101

A very common question I receive from many people regarding the criminal system is “what is the difference between a misdemeanor and a felony?” Most people have heard the terms before either in a movie or the news but aren’t exactly sure what it means and how it applies to them. In this article we will give you an overview of what’s misdemeanor in Texas. Look for our article regarding felonies to help understand the basics of a felony case.

First thing to understand is that the term “misdemeanor” and “felony” refers to a punishment range a person can receive for a certain crime. Under the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, crimes are divided into two categories. Yep, you guessed it it’s either a misdemeanor or a felony. Within the misdemeanor and felony category you have different classifications such as Class A,B,C or 1st,2nd, 3rd degree felony. Don’t worry we will get into this later. The core concept is to understand that they directly affect your punishment range and the financial penalty that may be imposed on you.