A crime’s classification is a huge consideration in criminal cases. Many people know that there are implications of being convicted of a felony that don’t involve the criminal court system. These implications of a felony are known as collateral consequences. These include a host of things that can affect you for the rest of your life, including the time after the court-imposed penalties have been completed.
It is possible to face collateral consequences even for misdemeanor convictions. These can include things like being unable to find a job because you have a criminal conviction on your record. It might even impact your housing options since some landlords are checking criminal backgrounds now. Even getting a loan might be more difficult if you have a felony conviction on your record.
Typically, the effects of a felony conviction will impact your life more. One interesting way that a felony conviction can impact you in Kentucky is that you can’t vote unless you file an application to do so and it is approved. In Tennessee, the type of crime you are convicted of determines whether you can apply to vote or not.
The classification of your crime also determines how your case is handled. Felony charges are eligible for a jury trial, but this isn’t the case for many misdemeanor charges.
It is crucial for you to understand how the laws apply to your case. Since every case is different, you should make sure that you don’t assume what worked previously or what worked for someone else will work in this instance.
Source: FindLaw, “Implications of a Crime’s Classification,” accessed March 24, 2017
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