Have you been arrested and charged with a crime in Connecticut? Maybe you know someone who has recently been arrested and is facing criminal charges. Either way, it can be important for you to understand a bit about how many types and levels of criminal charges are recognized in the state of Connecticut.
According to the Connecticut General Assembly, any violation of the law may be considered an infraction, a misdemeanor or a felony. Infractions are the least serious of all violations and the primary way that an infraction differs from other offenses is that the only consequence associated with an infraction is financial. No jail time is attributed to these incidents.
In contrast, a defendant may expect to spend some time in jail or prison if convicted of a misdemeanor or a felony. The length of sentence is part of what differentiates these two classifications of crimes. Maximum incarcertation times of 12 months may be misdemeanors while maximum sentences lasting more than 12 months may be felonies. There are five total levels of misdemeanors in Connecticut ranging from Class A through Class D misdemeanors and including unclassified misdemeanors as well. In addition, there are seven total levels of felonies in the state. These include Class A through Class E felonies, unclassified felonies and also capital felonies.
If you would like to learn more about different types of criminal classifications and their associated penalties, please feel free to visit the felony and misdemeanor offense classification page of our Connecticut criminal defense website.
